Turkish Perceptions of Syrians: A Comparative Study between Gaziantep and Afyonkarahisar
Executive Summary:
This study examines Turkish perceptions of Syrian refugees through a comparison of two contrasting cases: the city of Gaziantep, which hosts a large Syrian population and is characterized by visible daily interaction, and the city of Afyonkarahisar, where the Syrian presence is minimal to almost non-existent. The researchers adopted a qualitative methodology based on in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of residents in both cities, in order to analyze perceptions related to the Syrian family, social relations, norms of cohabitation, and patterns of leisure and work.
The findings indicate that direct interaction in Gaziantep has contributed to the production of more diverse attitudes. Negative impressions—such as having many children, collective mobility, weak adherence to unwritten social rules, cleanliness concerns, and the perceived “occupation” of public spaces—coexist with positive or neutral impressions derived from successful personal experiences with certain Syrian families or individuals. The image of Syrian women emerged as a central axis in shaping perceptions, whether in terms of appearance, family roles, or the issue of polygamy, alongside anxieties regarding potential impacts on demographic balance. Syrians were also associated in the popular imagination with hookah and coffee culture, and with a lifestyle whose working and resting schedules differ from prevailing Turkish patterns.
By contrast, the Afyonkarahisar case reveals the dominance of a generalized negative narrative toward Syrians, despite the limited nature of direct interaction. Residents tended to adopt and reproduce widely circulating stereotypes—such as excessive fertility, cultural isolation, weak acquisition of the Turkish language, concentration in specific neighborhoods, and lack of belonging. These perceptions were largely shaped by media representations and political discourse rather than by local lived experience.
The study concludes that the nationally prevalent anti-Syrian discourse in Turkey possesses a diffusion power that allows its influence to extend even to areas with little or no Syrian presence. At the same time, direct, everyday encounters have the potential to mitigate this discourse or reshape it, highlighting the importance of positive interaction as a key instrument for deconstructing stereotypes and fostering mutual understanding between the two communities.
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مدير مركز الحوار السوري، يحمل شهادة الدكتوراه في القانون العام من جامعة حلب، وحائز على اعتمادية المعهد العالي للحقوق في الشرق الأوسط، وعمل سابقاً مدرساً في كلية الحقوق في جامعة حلب الحرة. يركز في أبحاثه الحالية على دراسة ديناميكيات العلاقة بين المجتمع السوري والنصوص القانونية والدستورية منها على وجه التحديد.
بروفيسور في قسم علم الاجتماع في كلية الآداب بجامعة غازي عنتاب
