Social exclusion and the phenomenon of ethnicity in migrant groups: The case of Syrian Arabs and Iraqi Turkmens who migrated to Ankara

In recent years, political instability, civil war, and security crises in Syria and Iraq have led to large-scale forced migration movements towards Turkey. This mass migration has brought not only humanitarian but also social, economic, and political challenges. Among these, the phenomenon of social exclusion experienced by migrants has emerged as one of the most significant issues. This study focuses on understanding the experiences of social exclusion among forced migrants of different ethnic identities in Turkey and analyzing the impact of possessing an ethnic identity different from that of the local population on these processes. The study group consists of eight Syrian Arabs residing in the Altındağ district of Ankara, who migrated following the Syrian civil war after 2011, and eight Iraqi Turkmens living in the Mamak district, who migrated from Iraq after 2014. Adopting a qualitative research design, data were collected from sixteen participants through in-depth, face-to-face interviews based on a semi-structured questionnaire, and analyzed using the descriptive analysis technique. The findings reveal that ethnic differences are particularly significant in shaping the spatial and cultural dimensions of social exclusion. In terms of political exclusion, Syrian participants tended to remain more silent and reserved, whereas Turkmens adopted a more visible stance; however, both groups lacked opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. Economic exclusion appeared similarly in both groups, characterized by widespread experiences of working in informal and low-status jobs. Furthermore, gender emerged as a crucial factor influencing experiences of social exclusion, with Syrian women standing out as the most vulnerable group due to the intersection of ethnic identity and gender roles. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that social exclusion cannot be explained solely by migration status; rather, it is shaped by multiple factors such as ethnicity and gender. Keywords: Migration, Ethnicity, Social Exclusion