Mersin’de (Akdeniz, Mezitli, Toroslar ve Yenişehir) Yaşayan Suriyeliler: Sosyo-Kültürel Yapı ve Entegrasyon Süreci

Migration is a dynamic phenomenon that also encompasses the quality of changing and reshaping the demographic structure of countries that become sources of migration and those that receive migrants. The civil war that erupted on Syrian soil in 2011 forced millions of people to emigrate, leaving behind their homes and homelands. Turkey is the country most affected by this massive wave of migration. According to official statistics, more than three and a half million Syrians live on Turkish soil as of November 2019. Turkey is a partner to one of the world’s most significant migration movements, and the nation has been majorly influenced in terms of its demographic, economic, political, and sociocultural aspects. The present study analyzed the assets of Syrian asylum-seekers living in Mersin city in light of statistical data from the central districts of Mersin province, a coastal settlement located in the Mediterranean and Adana regions. The results revealed that Syrian refugees in four central districts (Akdeniz, Toroslar, Mezitli, and Yenisehir) in Mersin province required new socioeconomic and sociocultural arrangements between 2012 and 2018. The indicators of such processes in urban areas were further investigated. Urban cohesion incorporates multidimensional integration activities. The conditions of Syrians in temporary protection status in Mersin city were examined in this context and were evaluated from the geographical perspective vis-a-vis benefits, for example, their participation in urban services such as employment, education, and health.