In Turkey, Syria’s Urban Refugees Struggle To Make Ends Meet
The delicate balancing act between providing assistance to Syrian refugees and maintaining order is especially visible in Gaziantep, the largest city in south-eastern Anatolia.
by Cristina Maza
Turkey is in a tight spot. With years of economic growth slowing to a halt, the government is scrambling to kick start the economy while simultaneously dealing with the growing refugee crisis and protecting its borders from unrest spilling over from the conflict in neighboring Syria.
While the global economy slumped painfully after 2008, Turkey experienced several years of unexpected growth that skimmed the surface of the 10% mark. Now, it appears maintaining this trend will be close to impossible, and major reforms will be needed if President Erdogan is to reach his lofty goal of making Turkey the world’s 10th largest economy by 2023.
As economists mutter on about inflation and interest rates, the influx of Syrian refugees has caused a swift spike in unemployment in Turkey. Many employers now opt to hire the easily exploitable and undocumented Syrians spilling over the border in search of safety and an opportunity to make a living, no matter how bad the working conditions or how low the wages. As a result, many residents of southern Turkey fear for their livelihoods.
