Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Rahele Chatrsefid ¹
• Amir Mohammad Haji-Yousefi ²

¹ Ph.D Student, International Relations, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

² Professor, Department of Political Science & International Relations, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction                                  
The crisis of Syrian externally displaced populations (EDPs), triggered by the civil war that began in 2011, has displaced more than 14 million Syrians, with Turkey hosting the largest population of Syrian EDPs. The arrival of millions of Syrian EDPs in Turkey has generated far‑reaching political and social consequences, making the issue one of the most significant challenges in Turkey’s domestic and foreign policy landscape since 2011. From the outset of the crisis, Turkey adopted discursive and legal formulations that diverged from the internationally recognized category of refugee, instead framing Syrians as guests within a discourse of national hospitality. Although these terms evoke benevolence and moral responsibility, they have been embedded in a political framework marked by conditionality, hierarchy, and state‑determined limits.
The current research sought to address the following questions: What are the most significant factors shaping changes in the official labeling of Syrian EDPs in Turkey’s governmental approach? And how does this shifting labeling ultimately influence the country’s policies toward them? The study is based on the hypothesis that the primary drivers behind changes in the labeling of Syrian EDPs—and, by extension, the shifts in Turkey’s policies toward them—are political factors (e.g., nationalism and electoral pressures) and economic factors (e.g., integration challenges and strain on public resources). The analysis focused on how Turkey’s approach governs Syrian EDPs through a hospitality narrative that positions them as passive subjects rather than political actors endowed with rights.
Literature Review
A review of existing literature reveals that research on Syrian EDPs in Türkiye has primarily focused on their socioeconomic impact, legal status, security implications, or integration outcomes. However, the political significance of labeling—that is, how the state names, frames, and categorizes EDPs—remains understudied. This study addresses this gap by treating labeling not as a superficial linguistic choice but as an instrument of political action that structures state–EDPs relations and provides discursive justification for policy change. Unlike prior studies that view refugee management primarily through administrative or legal frameworks, the current  analysis foregrounds the interplay between terminology, political discourse, and policy orientation.
Materials and Methods
This study applied a qualitative document analysis to examine official terminology and discourse, focusing on how Syrian EDPs were constructed as guests through legal, spatial, and discursive practices. This analysis drew on key documents and sources, including the AFAD 2014 report on Syrian guests in Turkey, Turkish legal instruments (e.g., the 2013 Law on Foreigners and International Protection and the 2014 Temporary Protection Regulation), media discourse, and international reports published by the World Bank and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Moreover,  the study  relied on Derrida’s reflections on hospitality to examine how shifts in terminology could correspond to broader changes in the political landscape, economic conditions, and electoral incentives.
Results and Discussion
The findings demonstrate how Turkey’s policies have effectively depoliticized displacement, thereby limiting the rights of Syrian EDPs and normalizing their marginalization. Initially, the state’s terminology—specifically the pervasive use of guests—served several political functions. It legitimized the open-door policy, constructed a narrative of moral obligation, and positioned Turkey as a humanitarian actor within regional politics. However, as the economic situation deteriorated, public discontent mounted, and political competition intensified, the state’s terminology and discursive approach underwent a significant transformation. The representation of Syrian EDPs shifted from that of morally deserving guests to individuals perceived as contributors to rising unemployment, strains on municipal services, and broader social tensions. This discursive shift aligned with substantive policy measures, including more restrictive mobility regulations, tightened residency controls, limited access to labor market, and a growing emphasis on voluntary return.
According to the findings, nationalism and electoral dynamics are pivotal to understanding such a discursive transformation. Political parties increasingly instrumentalized the discourse surrounding Syrians in electoral campaigns, thereby heightening public anxieties and framing Syrian EDPs as a burden. Concurrently, economic factors played a decisive role in reshaping public opinion and justifying more restrictive policy shifts. The evolution of temporary protection policy is particularly illustrative here. While initially framed as a humanitarian mechanism, it has increasingly functioned as a tool for enhanced state control, selective access to rights, and the facilitation of return. Theoretically speaking, Derrida’s analysis of hospitality distinguishes between the ideal of unconditional openness and the reality of conditional acceptance shaped by rules, laws, and political interests. Turkey’s approach to Syrian EDPs aligns more closely with Derrida’s notion of conditional hospitality. The initial discourse of generosity and moral responsibility did not signify unlimited acceptance; rather, it reflected a political strategy that preserved the state’s authority to define and redefine refugee status. The language of hospitality allowed the state to maintain symbolic control while framing its policies as morally grounded.
Conclusion
This study concludes that shifts in Turkey’s refugee policy cannot be fully understood without considering the role of language, terminology, and political discourse in shaping state actions. The evolution of labels—ranging from guests to categories associated with burden and pressure—reflects underlying political and economic shifts and directly informs policy orientation. The findings helped confirm the hypothesis that political and economic factors influence the development of Turkey’s approach to Syrian EDPs. Furthermore, the study emphasized the critical importance of incorporating discursive analysis into future research on refugee policy, as the language employed by the state is not merely descriptive but constitutive of policy outcomes.

Keywords

• Syrian EDPs
• Turkey
• Refugee Policy
• Hospitality
• Derrida
• Temporary Protection

Main Subjects

• Developments in the Middle East