A study on the entrepreneurial activities of Syrian migrants in Turkey: The case of İstanbul/Esenyurt

Migration; as one of the most important dynamics of social change, can be regarded as a process which is both the cause and the result of the social, political, economic and cultural transformations of individuals and communities. The phenomenon of immigrant entrepreneurship as a result of the migration process can be defined as self-employment of migrants within various relationships and contexts in the host country. More than three and a half million Syrians who came to Turkey after the civil war that began in Syria in 2011 have been living in various cities in Turkey. With the continuation of the war for eight years, the hopes of returning Syrian migrants to their countries are decreasing while the motivations for establishing and settling their futures in Turkey are strengthening. Due to this trend, a significant increase is seen in migrant entrepreneurship activities in Turkey. In this context, this study aimed to explain how the relationships and networks which were existed and/or created before, during and after migration played a role in the business ownership of Syrian immigrants. In addition to this, it is aimed to show how different forms of capital play a role in the processes of Syrian immigrant entrepreneurs' transformation into business owners. It is aimed to answer questions such as "what are the reasons leading Syrian migrants to have role in entrepreneurship", "what are the legal, cultural and economic challenges which migrants come to face to face in the process of establishing and maintaining their businesses", and "how these challenges are being overcome". The study aims to reach Syrian migrants who arrived in Turkey after the civil war in Syria that began in 2011 and who owned a business in the Esenyurt district. In this study, by using qualitative research methods and techniques, the experiences of Syrian migrant entrepreneurs are tried to be understood and interpreted in their natural environment. As a result of the findings obtained from the field study, Syrian immigrants tend to be entrepreneurs because of their problems such as discrimination, lack of Turkish language skills, unemployment, or low wages. However, it was also observed that immigrant entrepreneurs with high cultural and economic capital were willing to transform their disadvantageous positions in the host country into opportunities