Research on the Commercial Activities of Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Gaziantep and Hatay Provinces in Türkiye

Abstract

People migrate for reasons such as escaping from wars, natural disasters, or living in better conditions. Immigrants also have to work to continue their lives in the target country. These people, who are seen as cheap labor in the beginning and generally work in precarious jobs, engage in entrepreneurial activities to set up their own businesses as they learn the conditions of the country. Beyond creating employment, immigrant entrepreneurs who have been trained in different cultures and have different knowledge and experience than the citizens of the target country also provide innovative opportunities. Immigrant entrepreneurs usually settle in the border cities of the target country and trade between their own country and the target country.

Türkiye is home to people who were forced to leave Syria in 2011. Almost all Syrians live in cities and have recently set up their own businesses. It is seen that Syrian immigrant entrepreneurs mostly settled in Türkiye’s mega-city of Istanbul and border provinces neighboring Syria. Since Syrian entrepreneurs do not dominate the market and bureaucratic procedures in Türkiye, it has been seen that they form partnerships with the Turks, and both sides benefit from each other’s expertise. Most of the Syrian entrepreneurs operate in the wholesale/retail and manufacturing sectors. It has been determined that their target markets are Iraq, Syria, and other Middle Eastern countries. Gaziantep and Hatay are also important export centers for them.

In this study, the number of Syrian and Iraqi entrepreneurs was determined according to the data of Gaziantep and Hatay Chambers of Commerce. The activities of Iraqi and Syrian entrepreneurs in Gaziantep and Hatay were examined according to NACE codes, and it was determined in which areas they were active. It has been observed that more than half of the immigrant entrepreneurs in these two cities are active in wholesale and retail trade. Subsequently, the reason for choosing these two provinces for Syrian entrepreneurs, the difficulties they experienced, and their expectations of the government were determined. In the examination, it has been seen that immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to the country’s economy in subjects such as employment, export, and innovation, and are appreciated by the citizens of the target country due to these activities. In this context, encouraging immigrants to become entrepreneurs and facilitating entrepreneurial activities, providing training on country conditions and legislation, and reviewing preventive activities reasonably will be in the interest of the country.