Navigating Local Adaptation in Turkey: A Comparison of Municipal Responses to Immigration after Syrian Civil War

Following the Syrian Civil War, Turkey has witnessed a substantial influx of asylum seekers, compelling a significant transformation within its immigration regime. Along with this transformation, actors and institutions in the field adapt to the new condition. This study delves into how local governments, under pressure of this migration wave, navigate these challenges amidst Turkey's shifting political landscape, characterized by a decline in democratic values and a surge in authoritarian tendencies. Remarkably, the central government has granted local authorities a degree of autonomy in addressing immigration issues, contrary to the increasing centralization in political power in Turkey. This unique scenario presents an invaluable opportunity to scrutinize the dynamic response and adaptation strategies of local governments in the face of rapid immigration. To this end, I have compiled a dataset encompassing 249 metropolitan and district municipalities in Turkey, focusing on their respective actions to manage immigrant populations. This dataset, a product of extensive desktop research, synthesizes information from a plethora of sources, including research reports, municipal annual reports, and media coverage. Employing this original dataset, my analysis sheds light on the variations in local policies towards immigrants across Turkey. While existing literature often focuses its scope to a couple of cities or districts, this comprehensive dataset enables a comparison of a wide array of municipalities. I propose that local immigration policies are not static; they evolve, even within a decade, 2011-2021, influenced by a complex interplay of political and economic factors. This research not only contributes to our understanding of local-level policy adaptation in times of significant demographic shifts but also offers a broader perspective on the political and economic underpinnings of local governments’ adaptation in the face of large-scale immigration.