Syrian immigrants in Turkey: Cultural identity and diaspora

Due to the civil war in Syria since 2011, more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees have come to Turkey. These immigrants first lived in the camps determined in the border region, then dispersed to different provinces of Turkey, especially the big cities. Syrian immigrants exhibit a heterogeneous structure in terms of age, gender, and educational conditions and have a temporary identity document as immigrant status. It differs in terms of those who have acquired Turkish citizenship or those who are refugees. This affects both their integration into the society they live in and their identification processes, as well as how they display a structure on the basis of diaspora culture. This thesis generally focuses on the diaspora culture and identity processes created by Syrian immigrants with their heterogeneous structures. The aim of this thesis is to investigate Diaspora culture and transnational immigrant understanding among Syrian immigrants who have been living in Turkey for many years. The research methodology consists of two parts: a literature review and a qualitative research method that includes in-depth interviews with 50 Syrian migrants living in different cities in Turkey. The results show that the Syrian migrating community in Turkey can be called a diaspora as many of its members are still connected to the culture, language, and history of the homeland. However, while these migrants are connected to Syria and Syrian culture, they are gradually influenced by the culture and traditions of the receiving society. The results also show that Syrian migrants are engaged in many daily transnational activities as they are in constant contact with Syrians in Syria and other countries.