Investigation of neighborhood relations in urban exclusion areas formed after refugee migration; Izmir Basmane example

The issue of migration has become one of the most debated topics in our country in recent years. This process, which began with the Syrian civil war, continues to be active today. Over the past thirteen years since the start of migration, Syrian neighborhoods have emerged in cities, making the social and spatial segregations, which are among the fundamental effects of migration, more visible. This situation also brings about some changes in urban life. In this thesis, the neighborhood relationships of refugees living in Izmir Basmane, which has become an urban isolation area especially after the Syrian migration, are examined. In this context, a study area consisting of six neighborhoods within Basmane was identified, and interviews were conducted with local representatives, muhtars (neighborhood leaders), and refugees living in the six designated neighborhoods, along with observations. The Basmane region, designated as the study area, is one of the oldest settlement areas in Izmir with a history dating back 8000 years. Basmane, with its quite old urban fabric, is one of Izmir's settlements with low physical space quality. Therefore, it can be said that Basmane is a spatial segregation area. On the other hand, in the 1990s, Kurdish migrants from the eastern provinces of the country also settled in this region, contributing to a different ethnic characteristic of the area. Migrants from the east of the country also belong to the low-income group. Therefore, Basmane is not only a spatial segregation area but also a social segregation area. The Basmane region is one of the areas where the deepening of social and spatial segregations due to migration effects is most intensively experienced. Basmane, already a migrant area, has become even more complex socially with the Syrian migration. Although there are main reasons behind refugees' preference for Basmane, this preference primarily occurs as an implicit necessity. Due to the impact of their experiences of exclusion, refugees tend to isolate themselves within Basmane and continue their lives in limited mobility. Both poverty and racial differences bring about social exclusion, and as a result, refugees continue their lives in a region with low physical space quality. Due to these characteristics, Basmane constitutes a complete urban exclusion area, especially for Syrian refugees. The significant influence of previous connections of those who migrated to Basmane before the Syrians in concentrating Syrians in the Basmane region cannot be ignored. Although refugees initially go through the stages of migration through their connections, the influence of these connections decreases relatively in their settled lives. Refugees have not developed a minority solidarity group as often seen in the literature. Refugees' neighborhood relationships mostly occur through integration into the existing community structure in Basmane.