The Impact of Occupational Status on Public Attitudes Toward Syrians Under Temporary Protection in Turkey

Abstract

Executive Summary

Turkey hosts the world’s largest population to Syrians under temporary protection (TP). TP grants access to basic services but offers neither a pathway to citizenship nor long‑term legal certainty. In this context, host-community attitudes are crucial to social cohesion and the effectiveness of policy.

This study analyzes how occupational status shapes Turkish citizens’ views of Syrians under TP. Using a cross‑sectional survey of 1,666 adults in six occupational groups in 11 provinces, we assess three domains — social distance, cultural tolerance, and willingness to live and work together — and treat occupation as an everyday social position that structures contact and perceptions.

Key Findings:

Variation by occupation. Professionals and public‑sector employees tend to hold more inclusive views, whereas tradespeople, the self‑employed and informal‑sector workers, express greater social distance. Gaps are largest in high‑trust contexts (e.g., renting a home, entering a business partnership, and marriage) and smaller in routine interactions.

Income does not explain these gaps. Differences persist after adjusting for household income, indicating occupation is an independent correlate.

Workplaces matter. Work settings shape opportunities for contact and perceptions of threat, helping to explain the differences.

Policy Recommendations:

Tailor integration by occupation. The Ministry of Interior (Presidency of Migration Management) and municipalities should design local plans that reflect sector‑specific concerns and opportunities.

Engage inclusive institutions. The Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Health should provide in-service intercultural training and support teachers and healthcare staff as facilitators.

Engage more exclusionary sectors. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security, along with chambers of commerce/tradesmen’s unions, should expand lawful employment channels, enforce fair work standards, and support small joint Turkish Syrian initiatives.

Improve contact quality at work. Public employers and private HR departments should utilize mixed teams, mentoring, and clear anti-discrimination procedures.

Support neighborhood‑level collaboration. Municipalities — together with non‑governmental organizations (NGOs) and government‑organized NGOs (GONGOs), such as the Turkish Red Crescent — should convene small‑business roundtables and community projects.

Recognizing the occupation’s role highlights practical, context-sensitive steps to strengthen inclusion during prolonged displacement.