A RESEARCH ON THE MIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT PROCESS OF SYRIANS IN AYVACIK (ÇANAKKALE)

43851

In 2011, after the civil war in Syria, the Syrians have immigrated to Turkey and have settled in camps and various settlements within the scope of “Temporary Protection”. Syrians using Turkey as a transit country and aiming to exceed the EU have used the land and sea borders particularly on the western coast of Turkey as irregular migration routes. Ayvacık (Çanakkale) on this route is the closest settlement to Mytilene Island (4 miles). This situation was effective in Syrians choosing Ayvacık as an irregular migration route. Since the second half of 2017, irregular migrations have come to a standstill due to the measures taken on the coasts near the Greek border, the migration of Syrians to Ayvacık has decreased. The migration initiatives of Syrian refugees who see Ayvacık as an irregular migration route have become difficult. For this reason, Syrians started to see Ayvacık as a place of residence rather than a temporary migration route. In this article, the demographic characteristics, economic activities, future expectations and relations with local people of Ayvacık have been investigated. Data were collected and analyzed by face-to- face interviews with 54 local and 61 Syrian people. Syrians migration to Ayvacık was influenced by their employment opportunities and acquaintances. While Syrians are satisfied with Ayvacık, the attitudes of the local people towards Syrians vary according to the neighborhoods.

141

International Migration , Forced Migration , Syrian Migrants , Ayvacık

International Journal of Geography and Geography Education

159

International Journal of Geography and Geography Education