The ethnic economy of Samsun: Tradesman experiences of Iraqi and Syrian immigrants

Migration is a movement of place change that people make from one living environment to another. Throughout the history of humanity, people joined migration movements for political, economic, social, etc. reasons. In addition to the places that give out migration, places that receive migration are also directly affected by this movement. Türkiye has been receiving intense foreign migration since 2011. Along with Syrians' mass migration, the country is also receiving irregular migration from countries, such as Iraq, Persia and Afghanistan. The migrants have settled mostly in urban areas in Türkiye. Migrants, who had settled in Türkiye, joined the labour market after a while to be able to make a living. While some migrants became paid workers, other migrants decided to become entrepreneurs by establishing their own businesses. In this thesis work, which is based on interviews with ethnic entrepreneurs, Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of field, habitus and capital were used. In this thesis, a research is done on how Syrians under temporary protection and Iraqis having refugee status that settled and work as shopkeepers in Samsun experience the city via their workspaces. The interview technique, based on an interview guide, is used in this study among the qualitative research methods. Interviews were made in Turkish with some migrant entrepreneurs and by receiving translator support with others. In Samsun's İlkadım district, altogether fifteen interviews were made with entrepreneurs, including nine Syrian and six Iraqis. In this way, migrants' urban experiences in Samsun are aimed to be understood through Syrian and Iraqi shopkeepers with their political-economic and social dimensions. In this study, information regarding economic, political and social experiences of Syrian and Iraqi immigrants who work as tradesmen in Samsun have been obtained. It is found that the immigrants are in general satisfied to live in Samsun and they are thinking of staying here. On the other hand, for various reasons it is found that they have difficulty in finding themselves a home and workplace and they concentrate in immigrant neighbourhoods. Factors such as economic situation, guidance of consulting centres and social exclusion influence this outcome. Although there is not an intensive solidarity among immigrants of different ethnic origins, it is revealed that a sector where housing exchanges are made among them has emerged. All the information achieved through this research shows that immigrants could only experience certain parts of the city for various reasons.