A spatial solution for refugees and locals integration process in Turkey

Today, we are experiencing one of the biggest migration movements in the world's history. Among the countries that are home to refugees, Turkey is taking first place. In 2011, Turkey's open-door policy implemented to refugees therefore they welcomed as 'guests'. As the Syrian civil war continues, the 'permanent settlement' of refugees is the subject of controversy. Growing dense of the refugee population creates sociocultural, economic, physical and spatial problems in residential areas and this negatively affects the integration process between local people and refugees. When examining the settlements with such different societies have to unite in the world as in our country, it is seen that the biggest obstacles to the integration process are language and cultural differences. In order to prevent this difference and establish a bridge between two different cultures, we need spaces where public education will be held and new social awareness will be created. These spaces are important for different cultures to gather and interact in a public area. In the world, there have been different organizations with public education purposes. Although they have different goals, it has been observed that these organizations facilitate the formation of public awareness. This approach, which creates a common social awareness with a space-oriented solution, is an example of the successful development of the local people and refugee integration process. In this context, a social and cultural facility is proposed by creating space constructions where two different communities can produce and live together with their social needs. The proposed structure includes public education venues that will accommodate activities where language and cultural differences can be eliminated, psychological and social problems can be reduced, and collaborative activities are encouraged. Therefore, in the thesis, the sample area in Hatay, Reyhanlı designed with the right space-oriented solutions to be proposed through architectural and urban design to support the social development and integration of societies.