Cities in crises consultations: Gaziantep, Turkey

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Publication language
English
Pages
5pp
Date published
01 Apr 2016
Type
Research, reports and studies
Keywords
Forced displacement and migration, Host Communities, Refugee Camps, Urban
Countries
Turkey, Syria
Organisations
IMPACT Initiatives, IMPACT Initiatives

Gaziantep is the economic urban heart of the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. During the last decade the city
went through an important urbanization process and economic growth driven by its business community’s will to position
Gaziantep as a gateway to regional markets. Located some 60 kilometers from the border with Syria, Gaziantep has
historical strong economic ties with its Syrian neighbor and particularly Aleppo, 90 kilometers to its South.
Since the conflict broke out in Syria, the municipality of Gaziantep has been on the frontline in coping with the influx
of refugees into Turkey. Gaziantep has since hosted refugee camps in its surroundings (with a population of 51,000
individuals) as well as an additional estimated 350,000 Syrians who have settled in the city, creating significant pressure
on services as well as increasing tension with host communities. The Metropolitan Municipality of Gaziantep has been
actively engaged in supporting Syrian refugees, adpating and developing social services infrastructures.