Syrian Entrepreneurs in Turkey: Emerging Economic Actors and Agents of Social Cohesion

Refugee entrepreneurship from an intersectional approach

“…, 2022), whilst their entrepreneurship contributes to the economy of the host society (Harb et al. , 2019; Kadkoy, 2020).…”

The economically rich refugees: A case study of the business operations of Istanbul‐based Syrian refugee businesspeople

“…Limiting the focus to only the economic upper/upper‐middle class refugees (in this case, the businesspeople who used to work in businesses and who re‐established their companies in Istanbul by registering with the Istanbul Chambers) can demonstrate the specific impact and challenges that Syrian refugee businesspeople face, and the dynamic between the scarcely studied economically strong refugees and the impact that they have on host countries. Although various studies have been conducted on the impact of refugees, it has been argued that the lack of detailed assessment remains an obstacle for understanding the refugee situation (Kadkoy, 2020; Zetter, 2012); the lack of detailed ‘ethnographic sensibility’ in the research on integration has also been argued to be another drawback (Schinkel, 2018: 14). Through first‐hand fieldwork data, this research also adds a more sensitive dimension to the depiction of the diverse socio‐economic make‐up of refugees in the field of study.…”

“…Also, the minimum capital required to open a company in Turkey is 10,000 TL according to local regulations (Investment office, 2018). There were 9,977 formally registered Syrian companies in Turkey between 2010 and June 2018 (Kadkoy, 2020: 120). If they were all paying the minimum rate to hire accountants with the minimum funding capital, the total amount of their spending on accountants would be almost 4 million TL per month (around $600,000 USD), with almost 100 million TL (around $15 million USD) for their minimum funding capital in Turkey.…”

“…Before the 2011 Syrian crisis, there were only 44 Syrian‐owned companies registered in Istanbul (Istanbul Chamber of Commerce 2015). However, there were 4,874 Syrian companies established in Istanbul between 2010 and June 2018, which is a hundredfold growth in less than nine years (Kadkoy, 2020: 121). Furthermore, Syrian‐established companies in Istanbul account for 48.85% of all Syrian companies in Turkey (Kadhoy, 2020:120–121).…”

“…However, there were 4,874 Syrian companies established in Istanbul between 2010 and June 2018, which is a hundredfold growth in less than nine years (Kadkoy, 2020: 121). Furthermore, Syrian‐established companies in Istanbul account for 48.85% of all Syrian companies in Turkey (Kadhoy, 2020:120–121). Syrian‐established companies in Istanbul invest in all kinds of sectors, but predominantly in retail, manufacturing and service (Güven et al, 2018: 56).…”