Evaluation of the problems of Syrian refugees living in Istanbul in the context of human security

Since the outbreak of conflict in Syria in 2011 we are witnessing to one of the biggest refugee crises in history. The country which receives the biggest numbers of refugees is Turkey. From the number of 4 million refugees in Turkey 3.5 milion are from Syria. Often when we talk about refugees, immigrants and asylum-seekers, we mistakenly assume that most of them are in refugee camps. However, more than 96 % of the total number of Syrian refugees in Turkey live outside the camps. Although being ignored, cities are the central point of the Syrian refugee crisis. An example of this is Istanbul, which hosts more than 500,000 refugees.This work will explore the life of Syrian refugees in Istanbul from human security perspective. Although the city gives certain types of protection, it can be also the source of many insecurities and problems. Through all seven dimensions of human security (economic, political, personal, community, food, health, environmental) this work will identify the biggest challenges for Syrian refugees living in Istanbul as urban environment.