Turkey has recently experienced the departure of hundreds of thousands of Syrians who were a significant part of the country’s workforce. This mass migration has affected various economic sectors, especially those reliant on low-cost Syrian labor. According to official Turkish data, the departure of Syrians has left a noticeable mark on the labor market, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises that primarily depended on this labor force.
The sectors most affected by the exodus of Syrian labor include industrial workshops, agriculture, and construction, where Syrians constituted a large portion of the workforce, helping to reduce production costs and maintain competitiveness. With their departure, negative impacts have emerged, including factories partially or completely halting activities due to the shortage of cheap labor.
In Istanbul and other major cities, industrial projects have been particularly affected, with some factories ceasing operations due to the unavailability of suitable replacement labor. Business owners face significant challenges in finding alternatives to Syrian labor, especially given that many Turks are unwilling to take on physically demanding jobs for low wages.
The impact of the shortage of Syrian labor extends beyond the industrial sector to other vital sectors like agriculture and construction, which rely heavily on unskilled or low-skilled labor. This has led to a noticeable slowdown in project implementation and increased production costs, raising the final prices of goods and services.
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Some Turkish economists downplay the extent of this impact, pointing out that Turkey can attract labor from other countries like Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, as well as African labor using Turkey as a transit point to Europe. However, others acknowledge that employing Turkish labor will be more costly, adding to the burdens on business owners.
Recent events in Kayseri province, where riots and attacks on Syrian properties took place, have prompted many Syrians to relocate or return to Syria, exacerbating the labor shortage in industrial areas like Kayseri.
Turkish economic analyst Yusuf Katipoğlu notes that the Turkish economy has been affected by the migration of Syrian labor, particularly in industrial areas like Kayseri. However, he emphasizes that the Turkish economy will not collapse due to this impact, given the abundance of labor in the Turkish job market.
It is also worth noting that Syrians in Turkey were not just laborers but also active investors, contributing to the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs and boosting Turkish exports through trade relations with Arab and European countries.
In conclusion, the departure of Syrians from Turkey presents a significant challenge to multiple sectors of the Turkish economy, but it is not an insurmountable impact. With the availability of alternatives and the ability to adapt to changes in the labor market, the Turkish economy still has the capacity to recover and continue growing.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
