Iraqis in Turkey

Last updated
Iraqis in Turkey
Total population
125,000 [1] [2]
Regions with significant populations
Istanbul, Konya, Trabzon, Ankara and Bodrum.
Languages
Mesopotamian Arabic, Turkish (Iraqi Turkmen/Turkoman dialects), Kurdish (Sorani and Kurmanji dialects), and Neo-Aramaic (Chaldean, Ashuri, and Mandaic)
Religion
Predominantly Islam with a significant Christianity minority (Syriac Christianity and Eastern Catholic) and a small number of Mandaeans.
Related ethnic groups
Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Azeris, Iranians, Kurds, Mizrahim, Iraqi Turkmen

Iraqis in Turkey includes Turkish citizens of Iraqi origin, Iraqi-born citizens and Iraqi expat workers.

Contents

History

Turkey experienced a large influx of Iraqis between the years of 1988 and 1991 due to both the Iran–Iraq War and the first Gulf war, [3] with around 50,000 to 460,000 Iraqis entering the country. [2] However, Turkey took a different approach following the 2003 invasion of Iraq in 2003, when the government took strong measures in ensuring there be no mass influx of Iraqis for the third time. [2] Thus, despite an approximate of two million Iraqis fleeing to neighbouring Syria and Jordan, only 10,000 had arrived in Turkey. [2] Despite Turkey being Iraq's only neighbour to be a party to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, Turkey has restricted the possibility for Iraqi refugees who escaped armed conflict, like all non-Europeans, to be issued refugee status. [4]

Nowadays, ever since the end of Iraq’s war with ISIS and the return of stability to the country, most refugees returned to Iraq. [5] Iraqis living in Turkey number about 125,000, and most of them are expats who come to the country for work or are foreign students that settle in the country for education. Iraqi people are among the nationalities that purchase the most properties in the country, alongside Iranians, Russians, Germans, and Brits. [6]

Refugees during the Gulf War

Large movements of Kurdish refugees took place after revolts that broke out in Kurdish areas in northern Iraq during the Gulf War (August 2, 1990 – February 28, 1991) were curtailed by raids of the Iraqi military. [7] : 27–28  While Iran allowed 1.3 million Kurds into its borders, Turkey attempted to block the entry of more than 450,000 Kurds who were headed its way in an attempt to flee violence, leaving them trapped in the Iraqi-Turkish mountain range. [7] : 22, 32  In an attempt to avoid a humanitarian crisis, a US-led force intervened in northern Iraq, establishing a security zone and a no-fly zone to protect the Kurds. [7] : 29  Backed by UN Security Council resolution 688, operation Provide Comfort represented the first time the military was involved in humanitarian emergencies. [7] : 30  The 450,000 Kurds were brought down from the Iraqi-Turkish mountain range into flat areas on the Iraqi side of the border near Zakho and Donuk, where the US Army set up refugee camps, handing them to be managed by UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). [7] : 39–40  The Kurdish refugees were first protected by coalition military, and once they left, by UN guards. [7] : 46  Historically, this was the only time that Iraqi refugees were in camps. [8] : 117 

The Kurdish issue seriously tested UNHCR's protection mandate, as while it is obliged to protect and assist people who are outside of their own countries, the refugees camps were located inside Iraq. At the same time, UNHCR could not persuade Turkey to accept the Kurds into its area as states are obligated not to return people to situations where they might be persecuted, but they could not be forced to provide them asylum. [7] : 38  UNHCR promoted voluntary repatriation, [7] : 41  and by June 1991 all Kurds who stayed at the camps near Iraqi-Turkish border had returned to their towns in northern Iraq. [7] : 43 

Refugees during the Iraq War

In an attempt to prevent large movements of Iraqi refugees into its country resulting from the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Turkish government tightened its security at its border with Iraq during the Iraq War. As a result of Turkey's efforts, only 6,000-10,000 Iraqi refugees made it to Turkey, of whom 5,400 were registered in 2008. [8] : 99  By 2007, UNHCR had 8 national staff in Turkey. [8] : 120 

By November 2010, there were 5,235 Iraqis in Turkey registered by UNHCR. Of those, 59.7% were male, and 63.9% were between the ages of 18–59. Additionally, 49.3% originated in Baghdad, and while 47.3% arrived to Turkey in 2010, 7.8% arrived prior to 2006. While 36.4% are Arab, 28.5% are Assyrian, and 6.2% are Kurd. Finally, 10.5% of registered Iraqis in Turkey are Christian, 78.6% are Sunni, and 10.9% are Shia. [9]

By January 2011, there were 6,600 registered Iraqi refugees and 1,700 registered Iraqi asylum seekers in Turkey. [10]

Profiles and locations

Iraqis are predominantly situated in Istanbul [11] The Iraqi Assyrian community in Turkey constitute one of the largest Catholic communities in Istanbul, [3] most of whom are women. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in post-invasion Iraq</span> Human rights conditions in post-invasion Iraq

Human rights in post-invasion Iraq have been the subject of concerns and controversies since the 2003 U.S. invasion. Concerns have been expressed about conduct by insurgents, the U.S.-led coalition forces and the Iraqi government. The U.S. is investigating several allegations of violations of international and internal standards of conduct in isolated incidents by its own forces and contractors. The UK is also conducting investigations of alleged human rights abuses by its forces. War crime tribunals and criminal prosecution of the numerous crimes by insurgents are likely years away. In late February 2009, the U.S. State Department released a report on the human rights situation in Iraq, looking back on the prior year (2008).

Human rights in pre-Saddam Iraq were often lacking to various degrees among the various regimes that ruled the country. Human rights abuses in the country predated the rule of Saddam Hussein.

Minorities in Iraq include various ethnic and religious groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurdification</span> Adoption of Kurdish culture or language

Kurdification is a cultural change in which people, territory, or language become Kurdish. This can happen both naturally or as a deliberate government policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1991 Iraqi uprisings</span> Anti-government uprisings in Baathist Iraq

The 1991 Iraqi uprisings were ethnic and religious uprisings against Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq that were led by Shi'ites and Kurds. The uprisings lasted from March to April 1991 after a ceasefire following the end of the Gulf War. The mostly uncoordinated insurgency was fueled by the perception that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had become vulnerable to regime change. This perception of weakness was largely the result of the outcome of the Iran–Iraq War and the Gulf War, both of which occurred within a single decade and devastated the population and economy of Iraq.

Arabs in Turkey refers to the 1.5-5 million citizens and residents of Turkey who are ethnically of Arab descent. They are the third-largest minority in the country after the Kurds and the Circassians and are concentrated in a few provinces in Southeastern Anatolia. In addition to this native group, millions of Arab Syrian refugees have sought refuge in Turkey since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refugees of Iraq</span>

Refugees of Iraq are Iraqi nationals who have fled Iraq due to war or persecution. Throughout 1980 until 2017, there were a large number of refugees fleeing Iraq and settling throughout the world, peaking with the Iraq War and continued until the end of the most recent War in Iraq (2013–2017). Precipitated by a series of conflicts including the Kurdish rebellions during the Iran–Iraq War, Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait (1990) and the Gulf War (1991), the subsequent sanctions against Iraq (1991–2003), culminating in the Iraq War and the subsequent War in Iraq (2013–2017), millions were forced by insecurity to flee their homes in Iraq. Like the majority of refugees worldwide, Iraqi refugees established themselves in urban areas in other countries rather than in refugee camps. In April 2007, there was an estimate of over four million Iraqi refugees around the world, including 1.9 million in Iraq, 2 million in neighboring Middle East countries, and around 200,000 in countries outside the Middle East. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has led the humanitarian efforts for Iraqi refugees. The Iraqi displacement of several million was the largest in the Middle East at the time, and was even larger than the number of Palestinians who were displaced in 1948 during the creation of the state of Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in Iraq</span> History of the Christian populace of Iraq

The Christians of Iraq are considered to be one of the oldest continuous Christian communities in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iraqi diaspora</span>

The Iraqi diaspora refers to native Iraqis who have left for other countries as emigrants or refugees, and is now one of the largest in modern times, being described by the UN as a "humanitarian crisis" caused by the 1991 Gulf War and 2003 invasion of Iraq and by the ensuing war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iraq–Turkey relations</span> Bilateral relations

Iraqi–Turkish relations are foreign relations between Iraq and Turkey. From late 2011 relations between the two countries have undergone strained turbulence. The two countries share historical and cultural heritages.

The 2004 Qamishli riots were an uprising by Syrian Kurds in the northeastern city of Qamishli in March 2004, which culminated in a massacre by the Syrian Arab Armed Forces.

Refugees of the Syrian Civil War are citizens and permanent residents of Syria who have fled the country throughout the Syrian Civil War. The pre-war population of the Syrian Arab Republic was estimated at 22 million (2017), including permanent residents. Of that number, the United Nations (UN) identified 13.5 million (2016) as displaced persons, requiring humanitarian assistance. Of these, since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011 more than six million (2016) were internally displaced, and around five million (2016) had crossed into other countries, seeking asylum or placed in Syrian refugee camps worldwide. It is often described as one of the largest refugee crises in history.

The problem of Kurdish refugees and displaced people arose in the 20th century in the Middle East, and continues today. The Kurds, are an ethnic group in Western Asia, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syrian refugee camps</span>

Syrian refugee camp and shelters are temporary settlements built to receive internally displaced people and refugees of the Syrian Civil War. Of the estimated 7 million persons displaced within Syria, only a small minority live in camps or collective shelters. Similarly, of the 8 million refugees, only about 10 percent live in refugee camps, with the vast majority living in both urban and rural areas of neighboring countries. Beside Syrians, they include Iraqis, Palestinians, Kurds, Yazidis, individuals from Somalia, and a minority of those who fled the Yemeni and Sudanese civil wars.

Syrians in Lebanon refers to the Syrian migrant workers and, more recently, to the Syrian refugees who fled to Lebanon during the Syrian Civil War. The relationship between Lebanon and Syria includes Maronite-requested aid during Lebanon's Civil War which led to a 29-year occupation of Lebanon by Syria ending in 2005. Following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, refugees began entering Lebanon in 2011. Lebanon's response towards the influx of refugees has been criticized as negative, with the Lebanese government leaving them undocumented and limited and attacks on Syrian refugees by Lebanese citizens which go unaddressed by authorities. Despite the strained relationship between the Syrians and Lebanese, taking into consideration only Syrian refugees, Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the world, with one refugee per four nationals. The power dynamic and position of Syria and Lebanon changed drastically in such a short amount of time, it is inevitable that sentiments and prejudices prevailed despite progressions and changes in circumstance.

A refugee crisis can refer to difficulties and dangerous situations in the reception of large groups of forcibly displaced persons. These could be either internally displaced, refugees, asylum seekers or any other huge groups of migrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syrians in Turkey</span>

Syrians in Turkey, includes Turkish citizens of Syrian origin, Syrian refugees, and other Syrian citizens resident in Turkey. As of November 2023, there are more than 3,250,000 registered refugees of the Syrian Civil War in Turkey, which hosts the biggest refugee population in the whole world. In addition, more than 80,000 Syrian nationals reside in Turkey with a residence permit. Apart from Syrian refugees under temporary protection and Syrian citizens with a residence permit; 237,995 Syrian nationals acquired Turkish citizenship as of November 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkey's migrant crisis</span> Migrant crisis experienced by the Republic of Turkey in the 2010s

Turkey's migrant crisis, sometimes referred to as Turkey's refugee crisis, was a period during the 2010s characterised by a high number of people migrating to Turkey. Turkey received the highest number of registered refugees of any country or territory each year from 2014 to 2019, and had the world's largest refugee population according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The majority were refugees of the Syrian Civil War, numbering 3.6 million as of June 2020. In 2018, the UNHCR reported that Turkey hosted 63.4% of all "registered Syrian refugees."

The following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from September–December 2019. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.

The Makhmur refugee camp was founded in 1998, and is located in the Makhmur District, some 60 Km southwest to Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG). About 12,000 Kurdish refugees, who fled the civil war between Kurds and the Turkish army in the 1990s, live in this refugee camp. The refugees and their descendants stem from the depopulated Kurdish villages in Turkey. The Turkish authorities claim they had to depopulate the villages as they have been infiltrated by militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

References

  1. ↑ rsn. "About Refugees in Turkey". Refugee Solidarity Network. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  2. 1 2 3 4 http://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/11298 The Iraqi Refugee Crisis and Turkey: a Legal Outlook
  3. 1 2 3 http://www.christiansofiraq.com/caritaschaldeandec16.html Archived 2020-04-11 at the Wayback Machine Catholic Relief Agency Sheltering Iraqi Chaldean Refugees in Turkey
  4. ↑ http://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/11298 The Iraqi Refugee Crisis and Turkey: a Legal Outlook
  5. ↑ "IOM responds to complaints from Iraqi refugees in Turkey". InfoMigrants. 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  6. ↑ "Guide on Buying Property in Turkey for Foreigners | Istanbul Properties For Sale | +20,000 Apartment was sold with ISTHOMES". www.isthomes.com. 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ogata, Sadako (2005). The Turbulent Decade: Confronting the Refugee Crises of the 1990s . New York: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN   9780393057737.
  8. 1 2 3 Sassoon, Joseph (2009). The Iraqi Refugees. London: I.B. Tauris.
  9. ↑ "Statistical Report on UNHCR Registered Iraquis". UNHCR.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  10. ↑ "2011 UNHCR country operations profile - Turkey". UNHCR.
  11. ↑ Flaccavento, Delizia (2010-02-13). "Far from Iraq". bitemagazine.net. Bite Magazine. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.