Publication

This publication contends that host community hostility toward Syrian refugees is on the rise in Turkey’s metropolitan areas. Further, this could have serious implications for Turkey as the challenge of integrating Syrian refugees is compounding tensions at a time when the country is already struggling with socio-economic strains and political tensions. As a result, the author recommends that Ankara and its international partners should work to defuse tensions by 1) supporting long-term strategies for the sustainable integration of Syrians; 2) pre-emptively addressing and managing host community grievances; 3) developing mechanisms to defuse refugee related tensions, particularly in Turkey’s rapidly growing cities, and more.