Coskun Tastan

Bulundukları ülkeden bir başka ülkeye göç eden sığınmacıların, mültecilerin veya göçmenlerin göç etme edimleri ile artı değer yaratması yerel toplumla bir birliktelik oluşturmalarına ve ahenkli bir şekilde yaşamalarına bağlıdır. Bir başka ifadeyle, göçle gelen toplumla ev sahibi toplum arasında uyumun tesis edildiği yerlerde göç etme süreci göçün olumlu özelliklerini açığa çıkarırken; eğitim, sağlık, istihdam, barınma konusunda geldiği ülkenin kendisine sunmadığı imkânlara göç ettikleri toplumda da kavuşamayan yabancılar kendi kültürleri, değerleri ve kimliklerine daha fazla sarılmaktadırlar. Bu nedenle yabancıların göç ettikleri yerlere uyumu konusunda ev sahibi topluma çok sayıda ödev ve sorumluluk düşmektedir. Sığınmacıların eğitiminin iyileştirilmesi ve geliştirilmesi, onların kente ve kentin gündelik yaşamına adapte olmalarının sağlanması, kamu politikası inşa ve uygulama sürecinde mevcut sorunların tespit edilerek gerekli önlemlerin alınması ve göç olgusunun aynı zamanda sosyo-psikolojik ve kültürel bir mesele olduğundan hareketle yönetilmesi göç ve uyum arasındaki ilişkiyi kuvvetlendiren önemli etmenler olmaktadır.
Polis Akademisi Başkanlığı Göç ve Sınır Güvenliği Araştırma Merkezi (GÖÇMER) tarafından hazırlanan ‘Göç ve Uyum’ başlıklı bu eser; özellikle Suriyeli sığınmacı akını gibi kitlesel göçler karşısında uyum konusunda karşılaşılan sorunlar ile eğitim, günlük yaşam, yasal düzenlemeler, göç politikaları ve uygulamaları konularında tespitleri ve önerileri içermektedir.

The inclusion of Syrian children into the education system is
an important matter. There are many risks associated with being uneducated. First of all, the uneducated ones lose their hopes and are forced to work at low-paying jobs as they lack the necessary knowledge and skills. What follows is the risk of marginalization, ghettoization and radicalization. Access to quality education will help Syrians overcome psycho-social issues caused by war, violence and relocation and will contribute to the normalization of the individuals and the society.

This report is based upon a research carried out in 9 cities in Turkey between March-August 2017. 60 interviews and 15 focus group were conducted as part of the research. The report presents some important facts and figures of Syrians in Turkey and focuses on the reasons behind the low schooling rate among Syrian children aged 6-18. In addition, it sheds light on the problems Syrian children face at school and brings forth some recommendations to overcome those problems.

Eylül 2017 verilerine göre Türkiye'de 3 milyondan fazla kayıtlı Suriyeli yaşamaktadır. Bu nüfusun yaklaşık 1,5 milyonu 18 yaşından küçük, 1 milyonu ise okul çağındaki çocuklardan oluşmaktadır. Okul çağındaki çocukların yakkaşık % 54'ü okula gitmektedir. Yani Suriyeli çocukların yarıya yakını hala okul dışındadır. Bu rapor, uzun ve titiz bir veri toplama sürecinden sonra ortaya çıktı. 9 ilde 60 derinlemesine mülakat ve 15 odak grup görüşmesi sonucunda elde edilen verilerle MEB, AFAD ve Göç İdaresi Genel Müdürlüğü gibi kurumlardan elde edilen veriler harmanlanarak rapor hazırlandı.

The conference included a total of 11 sessions with 45 presentations by 52 speakers.
• Over the past fifty years, two thirds of the world population has migrated from rural to urban spaces. The projections indicate that this tendency will gradually increase and by 2050 60 percent of the world population will be living in urban settings.
• In 2016, the global refugee population reached 65.5 million. If refugees formed a new country, it would be the 21st largest state in the world according to population size.
• The global tendency of migrating from rural to urban spaces necessitates thorough atten- tion. The first international migration and security conference entitled “Immigrant Influx and the City”, organized by CRIBS in 2016, aimed to fill a major gap in this context. A series of conferences with various themes that will address the issue are also planned for following years.
• In the presentations made as part of the conference, it was underscored that overlooking immigrants in urban planning processes is a significant global-level shortcoming. For instance, it was highlighted in one of the presentations that Pakistan has a number of urban planning practices embedded with covert discriminatory dimensions particularly against poor and female immigrants.
• In Turkey, the population of Syrians under temporary protection reached 2.801.586 as of December 15, 2016. Among this population, 258.571 people take shelter in Temporary Refugee Centers (TRCs) (not to say camps) while the rest reside in spaces outside of camps using their own means.
• If all Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey gathered in one city, it would be the 4th largest city in the country.
• According to four different scenarios developed as part of the projections made about Syrian population in Turkey, the population of Syrians under temporary protection will be between 2.4 and 3.7 million by the 2025.
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Mass Immigration and Syrians in Turkey
• In Turkey, the influence of Syrians under temporary protection on the country's economy is significant. Their influence on the Turkish economy was also one of the topics discussed in the conference. According to the presentations made as part of the conference, the primary effects were determined as follows:
• Positive effects:
• Evaluating the impact that Syrians under temporary protection' have on the country's economy by looking solely at the negative effects would make for an incomplete assess- ment. Consequently, while making evaluations regarding this issue, the contributions Syrians make to the local economies with the assets they hold must also be taken into account.
• The extensive aid provided in border regions of Turkey has created economic mobility for local companies (the local production rates have increased particularly in the textile and food sectors.).
• A growing mobility has been observed in the real estate market.
• Negative effects:
• Rents prices have increased.
• Unfair competition has been observed in the labor market. The manpower (particu- larly in agriculture and unskilled labor) has become cheaper by falling below the national average.
• The province-based inflation has climbed above the national average in a number of provinces including Kilis, Gaziantep and Hatay, where Syrians under temporary pro- tection are densely populated.
• Unrecorded economic activities, tax loss and tax fraud have increased.
• It was highlighted throughout the conference that the economic impacts of the the mass migration movements in the context of Syrians under temporary protection should not only be considered in terms of security, but also approached with an aim to provide effective manage- ment.
• A number of presentations made within the conference were about the education of mass migrants. Considering that the influx of Syrian immigrants to Turkey constitutes one of the largest mass migration movements in recent years, the education of Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey stood out as one of the main themes touched upon in the presentations.
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Mass Immigration and Syrians in Turkey
• The topics highlighted in the presentations about the education of Syrians under tempo- rary protection in Turkey include:
• Among nearly three million Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey, the pop- ulation of school-age children is around 900.000.
• Asserting that “all Syrians in Turkey will be educated” is a baseless approach. Despite all the endeavors, a large number of Syrians under temporary protection will not be incorporated into the education system.
• Prior to 2014, it was suggested that Syrians should be educated in accordance with their own curricula with the assumption that Syrians under temporary protection would soon return to their country. However, as a result of the realization that Syrians would not be returning to their country in the short-term, in 2014, a Turkish educational cur- riculum was designed for Syrians.
• By 2016, Turkey had already spent $3 billion for the education of Syrians under temporary protection.
• When the education of Syrians under temporary protection is considered in terms of allocated resources, it can be seen that the local administrations aid Syrians not only with regard to education but also in terms of meeting their basic needs such as housing, food and health care.
• A total of 19.200 teacher candidates among temporarily protected Syrians were pro- vided with in-service training. The trained candidates are now ready to start working as professional teachers.
• The following points were highlighted in the presentations on mass migration and hous- ing:
• Towards the end of 2016, a total of 258.571 Syrians under temporary protection were taking shelter in 25 Temporary Refugee Centers located in 10 provinces across Turkey. • The cost of Temporary Refugee Centers based in Turkey is considerably high. Thanks to the modern facilities in the centers all kinds of basic necessities of Syrians under tem- porary protection are met.
• Administered by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (DEMP), the Temporary Refugee Centers are globally acclaimed.
• Based on the observations, Syrians under temporary protection who live outside the Temporary Refugee Centers (camps) encounter serious problems with regard to accom- modation.
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Mass Immigration and Syrians in Turkey
• Living especially in slum areas or in city’s decrepit neighborhoods, Syrians under temporary protection take shelter in buildings with poor material conditions. This situ- ation can cause health problems along with serious societal problems.
• Syrians' need for shelter has caused housing rents to rise in certain provinces such as Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa and Kilis.
• In the presentations made on the topic of mass migration and urban security, the fol- lowing subjects were highlighted:
• Mass migration can lead to an increase in xenophobia and hate crimes.
• The social and psychological relations between the host country and migrants must be closely followed and required measures must be taken to ensure coexistence in har- mony.
• Although the issue of urban security is already on the agenda regardless of mass mi- gration, the Syrian influx in Turkey has rendered the issue even more crucial. Concerns about urban housing and security, have led to an increase in high-security gated com- munities, which is being shaped by the discourses developed around Syrians' need for shelter.
• Aghettoisanurbanspacepredominantlypopulatedbymembersofaminoritygroup. Ghettoization directly affects urban security. Formed in the outskirts of cities, these spaces constitute a threat to the security of cities. The isolation of immigrants from the rest of society obstructs their integration into the host country. Various offenses includ- ing forgery, smuggling and drug trafficking are prevalent in ghettos. Ghettoization is also a major impediment to adopting an urban identity.
• Immigrants' acting according to their own accord instead of complying with urban and social life could lead to threats against national security in the medium and long term.
• Mass migration leads to threats against border security.
• Human trafficking activities rise as a result of mass migration.
• The mass migration experience in the context of the Syrian case is an example of failure for the United Nations (UN). As a transit country, Turkey was confronted with the migrant crisis as a result of this failure. However, this crisis is as a matter of global concern. The whole world is both responsible for and vulnerable to the crisis. Therefore, all countries across the world should contribute to resolving the problem that is partic- ularly visible in countries of transit like Turkey.
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Mass Immigration and Syrians in Turkey
• The first wave of Syrian refugees arriving in Turkey scrambled for a living under harsh circumstances. Yet, the living conditions of refugees in Turkey have been en- hanced as a result of the policies introduced throughout the process. However, long- term and far-reaching policies are still required in Turkey for the integration of Syrian refugees into society.
• The organized crime networks active in Turkey can easily deceive Syrian refugees, who form the most vulnerable segment of society. Consequently, Turkey could con- front the danger of an ethnic shift in terms of perpetrators of crime (both in offenders and injured parties) in the short term. For this reason, immediate measures are required.
• Following projects such as refugee centers and special education facilities designed for Syrian refugees, Turkey should develop more projects not only for Syrians but for all segments of society in order to facilitate the integration of Syrian refugees into social life.

In the last week of May 2013, a series of mass demonstrations began in Taksim Square, Istanbul, and quickly spread all over Turkey. The demonstrations were initiated by a group declaring their opposition to the removal of some trees as part of an urban modernization project in the city centre. A severe security intervention triggered massive reactions from residents of Istanbul and, later, other Turkish cities: shortly after this intervention, an estimated 2.5 million people joined the demonstrations nationwide. Sustained in its most active form for nearly a month, the demonstrations left behind several deaths, many injuries, and inestimable property damage. Known as the "Gezi events," they had a tsunami effect on Turkish politics, reshaping the political networks, redesigning ideological positions, and disorganizing the political agenda. This article focuses on the politics of Gezi protests in relation to the Nationalist Action Party (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi, MHP), one of three opposition parties in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Founded more than 50 years ago, the MHP is known for its far-right nationalist views. Unlike the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, CHP), the MHP did not exploit the Gezi protests against the ruling Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi, AKP). The authors analyze the MHP's discourses and actions regarding the Gezi protests and conclude that, more than ever, the Kurdish question is the key battleground for the MHP, and that since the 1990s the MHP has successfully transformed nationalist reactions to the Kurdish question into political fuel.