Public opinion on Syrian immigration and social cohesion: A case study of Altındağ

In the last half century, the phenomenon of immigration has been widely recognized as one of the most significant issues in the world and especially in Turkey. This phenomenon has affected every period of social life and it continues to make its impact felt today. Though Turkey has been hosting a large refugee mass for years, with the Syrian immigration movement that started with the Open Door-Policy implemented in 2011, it has become the largest refugee-hosting country worldwide. As a consequence of this movement, Syrian asylum seekers were spread over the country and the the refugees and local residents began cohabitating. This has led to an increase in social problems and, therefore, the situation has evolved into a national problem. The present study examines the concepts such as immigration, refugee and asylum seeker, Syrian immigration to Turkey and social cohesion in terms of their theoretical and conceptual meanings. The main objective of this study is to reveal the opinions of people living with Syrian refugees intensively in Altindag region concerning the social cohesion; and to provide source material for organizations that promote solutions to these problems. In this context, this study is an attempt to establish a connection between the Syrian refugees and the local people in the light of concepts of social cohesion. This study is an applied field research conducted in the province of Ankara by using quantitative research method. Field research was conducted between January 2020 and May 2020. For the survey of this study, a sample group of 182 respondents was reached. According to the data gathered, Turks living in Önder District of Altindag Area expressed discontent with Syrian refugees by claiming that refugees have replaced residents in terms of employment and they have benefited from the state budget for citizen service, in consequence, they demand Syrians' repatriation. Regarding the aspect of the social structure in this immigration period, it is apparent that the negative stance against the Syrian refugees remains. In the final analysis, instead of a unilateral adaptation process, every policy applied should contribute to social incorporation and develop a right strategy for social cohesion. At this point, the universality of rights and society-based approach should be taken into account. Keywords: Immigration, immigration to Turkey, Syrian immigration, social cohesion, social work