In Pictures

Gallery|Humanitarian Crises

The Syrian odyssey in Istanbul

While Istanbul has long been a hub for migrants, Syrians have found themselves trapped in Turkey.

Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
The wall near the Fatih mosque bears a slogan reading: 'Yesterday Bosnia, today Syria'. The Syrian community in Turkey is now estimated at 1.5 million people. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
By Mauro Prandelli
Published On 28 Mar 2015

As the Syrian war enters its fifth year, Turkey’s economic centre, Istanbul, has seen the population of distressed Syrians swell. The patience of the local population, along with aid from the government, has been wearing thin. 

While Istanbul has long been a hub for migrants travelling to and from Europe, Syrians have found themselves trapped in Turkey. It is almost impossible for them to obtain visas for onward travel to Europe, and most cannot return to Syria because of safety concerns. Many now find themselves living in squalor, with little hope for the future. 

“Life in Turkey is very hard. Syrians cannot work because they do not have the necessary permits, and the only solution is to work illegally,” one refugee told Al Jazeera. “There are children who work 15 hours per day to bring their families little money, which is not even enough to buy bread. When the war is over, I want to go back to Damascus, to my family, to my land.”

Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
One of the challenges for Syrian refugees, after the trip to Istanbul, is the language, although some words from the Turkish and Arabic languages are similar. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
Advertisement
Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
Many Syrian refugees cannot work in Turkey because of residency permit restrictions. Some share small basements or cellars. Anas, 24, left his family in Syria and escaped from Aleppo. He works as a tailor in Istanbul without any job security but is considering going back to fight against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
A Turkish charity organisation, the Syrian Noor Association, collects medicine for distribution within the centre and monthly donations to Syria. The Turkish government does not provide any support but allows the group to function uninterrupted. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
Syrian children account for about 55% of Syrian refugees in Turkey, according to UNHCR . Many have lived through traumatic events and witnessed the war first hand, and some suffer from psychological disorders. Several associations were founded by the Syrian community to help Syrian children cope with their trauma, but lack of access to proper care is still a major problem. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
One of the key things the associations try to provide is education. In this particular school, students continue to study according to the Syrian curriculum. Some books have been rewritten, with passages praising Assad deleted. Turkish and English are also taught. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
Middle-class Syrians are able to rent a flat for 300 to 400 Turkish lira ($125 to $165) near a neighbourhood affected by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's restructuring plan to rebuild some areas of Istanbul. These houses will soon be destroyed to make way for more expensive, modern high-rise buildings. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
Advertisement
Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
Nahla and her family live in a small house with two bedrooms and a kitchen, home to 10 adults and seven children. The men of the families, who all fled Damascus, work as carpenters or bricklayers to raise money to pay for rent and food. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
Sivan, a 45-year-old from Qamisli, has been in Istanbul with his family for five months but is still unable to land a job. He says his Syrian-Kurdish identity makes it more difficult to find work to afford rent, which is already three months overdue. The owner of the flat has threatened eviction, but Qamisli does not know where he can go next. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
Pregnant when the war started in Syria, Farah escaped Damascus for Istanbul a year ago. Her husband found a job in Istanbul and is able to rent a house, which they share with another family. Far from the touristic center of Istanbul, Turkish people in the community provide refugees with food, while a local mosque gives them bread and rice. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
Refugees can rent a small room for 100 to 200 Turkish lira per month in the poorest neighbourhoods. Some refugees even occupy empty houses that lack heating or running water. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
Families have often been forced to separate during the war. Women are left to take care of the children and fend for themselves, while their husbands, fathers and brothers remain in Syria. These women walk several kilometres every day to pick up aid. They often complain that after an initial effort from both the Turkish government and international associations, they have been mostly left to their own devices. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]
Syrian Odyssey in Istanbul / DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
Since 2014, several demonstrations against Syrian refugees have taken place. Those who are able immigrate and seek asylum in Europe. An increasing number of Syrian refugees, however, are forced to live in limbo while they wait for the war to end and to be able to return to their country. [Mauro Prandelli/Transterra Media]