Radicalization patterns with religious motivation: Syria field

Radicalization refers to a complex and detailed process as a phenomenon. The study focuses on religious motivated radicalization and examines the Syrian area. The subject of the research is the participation of Turkish citizens in the civil war in Syria for the purpose of hejira or jihad. The causes of this process and the patterns of radicalization were examined. In this context, it is clear that the opportunities provided by new media and social networks cannot be ignored. The exploration of the common process elements that are fed by individual, group or mass causes will help to clarify the phenomenon of radicalization. In this way, it will contribute to the determination of the dynamics of the policy to be conducted against it. A qualitative approach was chosen within the scope of the research. The study is a case study of radicalized individuals and radicalization stories and processes. The study is a basic research aiming at an academic purpose and addressing the scientific community. Although research is a descriptive study, it focuses on a certain point in terms of time. When the research findings are examined, it is determined that the marital status makes a difference in terms of radicalization and jihad. None of the participants received any education on secondary education. At the same time, this situation is different from the studies in the international literature. social inconsistency and lack of belonging can be seen in the participants. Some participants have been using drugs, criminal offenses and imprisonment in their past. Jihad can be considered as a result of the desire for purification. Although the socio-economic status of the people is predominant in the middle class, there is no intense agglomeration in the lower classes. This situation also corresponds with the different study data. Only one participant had experience in a different jihad area. It is seen that the most important accelerator in the radicalization of the people is with the socialization and the acquisition of a different environment. Social media and internet have made it easier to access information sources. The participants stated that they had missed various things from their past lives, but they did not intend to return. The fact that the participants had expressed their experiences and experiences has been important in order to draw a picture of the process. It is thought that this study will contribute both in the context of radicalization patterns in the literature and provide important findings for de-radicalization.