The role of Syrian religious groups in the social cohesion of Syrian refugees: The Şanlıurfa case

Turkey has long been a destination for migration stemming from the civil war in Syria. The common social memory dating back to the Ottoman period, historical and cultural ties, kinship relations, as well as the common belief in religion (Islam) are among the factors behind the Syrian community's choice of Turkey as a destination for migration. Social cohesion is a critical issue in the process of migration, and the host community, the migrant group, and legal and cultural dynamics constitute important dimensions of this process. The subject of this research is the role of Syrian Muslim Religious Groups in Şanlıurfa in the social cohesion of Syrian Refugees. The aim of the research is to determine the level of the role of Syrian Muslim Religious Groups in Şanlıurfa in the social cohesion of Syrian Asylum Seekers and the solution of the problems they face in areas such as employment, shelter, education, religious communion and spiritual rehabilitation, benefiting from public services, adaptation to urban life and adaptation to socio-cultural life. Qualitative research method was adopted in the study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. In order to reach Syrian religious group representatives, chain (snowball) sampling technique, which is one of the non-random sampling types, was used. The research data was completed by interviewing a total of 30 Syrian religious group representatives, 21 of whom were male and 9 of whom were female, using a semi-structured interview form. The scope of the research is limited to Syrian Muslim religious groups operating in the central districts of Şanlıurfa province, namely Eyyübiye, Haliliye and Karaköprü. The research findings were analyzed using thematic content analysis technique. According to the research findings, Syrian religious groups have relatively contributed to the social cohesion of asylum-seekers in Şanlıurfa in areas such as employment, shelter, education, spiritual rehabilitation, socio-cultural life, and psychological, socio-cultural and economic dimensions. However, the fact that cohesion is experienced in the context of religious group and religious partnership indicates that social cohesion takes place in a limited form that prevents full integration. KEY WORDS: Migration, Social ohesion, Syrian Religious Groups, Şanlıurfa.