Diaspora business: the economic contribution of Syrian refugees to Turkey and their political role in (post-)conflict resolution

Abstract

Capital flight constitutes one of the most important dimensions of the Syrian war, with a significant impact on the current course of the conflict and also the post-conflict process. Since the start of the civil war in March 2011, many business people have ceased operations and moved their assets out of Syria. Due to the simplicity of Turkish business legislation in relation to Syrians and their pre-existing business contacts with Turkey, this country has become a commercial hub for the Syrian business diaspora. The number of companies established with joint Syrian capital has multiplied almost 40-fold since 2011 and trade with Syria in border cities such as Gaziantep, Mersin and Hatay far exceeds 2010 levels (http://www.tepav.org.tr/en/yayin/s/862).