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How has education for refugees been shaped by broader dynamics of educational privatization? This paper argues that the invoking of the 'refugee crisis' narrative has been a crucial force in facilitating the privatization of this sector. The urgency of crisis helps to naturalize private actors' participation in refugees' education as equal partners to host governments, multilateral agencies, and civil society. Consistent with Stephen Ball's (2012) distinction between privatization in and of education, the privatization of refugee education also advances through two dimensions: the creation of a new space -- a new 'market' -- for private actors, and the infusion of market and business principles such as 'innovation' into all aspects of education. The crisis narrative has created a new 'horizon of taken-for-granted' (Hall, 1993), where it is simply natural that private actors must participate in the assumption of the traditional responsibilities of the state in providing education for refugees.

Although refugee education is among the prominent research topics today, there is limited information in the literature about preschool, one of the important periods of education, and classroom management in this context. The purpose of this study is to explore the classroom management experiences of preschool teachers who have refugee students in their classrooms. In this way, this research examines the experiences of teachers about how they make sense of the difficulties they face in the classroom and the strategies they develop to combat them. Twenty-one preschool teachers with refugee students in their classrooms were included in this qualitative study through criterion purposive-measure sampling method. The data were collected using a semistructured interview form and analyzed using content analysis. Research findings showed that the difficulties experienced by teachers in terms of classroom management with the presence of refugee students in their classrooms were listed under the categories of grouping tendency, difficulties in implementation, need for additional activities, lack of time, communication problems, exhibiting unwanted behaviors, adaptation problems, tendency to disobey rules and cultural differences. Furthermore, the study revealed what kind of solutions teachers applied in terms of classroom management for the difficulties arising from the presence of refugee students in the classroom. The teachers used some strategies such as using visual elements, mainstreaming, considering individual differences, increasing comprehensibility, peer support, social communication, language activities, using reinforcement, intensive communication, and family support. In line with the results of the research, suggestions for future research and practices are discussed. [This study was presented as an oral presentation at IXth International Eurasian Educational Research Congress held in Izmir on June 22-25, 2022.]

School-age children constitute a significant portion of the Syrian refugee population in Türkiye. However, the number of studies examining the Syrian refugee children with disabilities (SRCwDs) is very limited. This paper examines intersections of race, disability, and refugee status by providing a systematic review of the available research focusing on SRCwDs residing in Türkiye. After giving contextual information regarding the status of Syrian refugees and presenting research on Syrian refugee children in Türkiye, this paper analyses existing studies on SRCwDs within the theoretical framework of DisCrit. This analysis reveals that research focusing on SRCwDs living in Türkiye is very limited and reliable and comprehensive data is necessary to identify their number in the country. There are also numerous problems regarding their access to services and schooling. Finally, this paper offers recommendations for practice and further research.

Education is the most effective tool for enabling immigrants' integration into the country they live in. The aim of this research is to determine teachers' views related to the education of Syrian students attending state schools. By presenting them through the experiences of their teachers, this paper deals with how the educational experiences at school of Syrian children of school age are shaped in state schools. The research is planned with a qualitative approach as a case study design. The participants of the research were 34 teachers working in state schools and having Syrian students in their classes. The research data were collected via focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews in Rize, Turkey between the years 2017-2019. The data in the focus group and semi-structured interviews were supported by means of observations. The research findings reveal that the biggest problem in teachers' opinions was the language problem and the communication and academic barriers resulting from this, that Syrian students suffered from depression and trauma because of war and migration, that they had a feeling of loneliness, and that nevertheless, they were happy at school. Therefore, this research reveals that teachers working with Syrian students are in need of vocational training and development consolidation in order to provide academic and psychological support for these students. Successfully addressing the educational needs of Syrian students in school will be especially beneficial for enabling Syrian children's integration into society. [This research was presented at the International Conference on New Horizons in Education (INTE), 3-5 July 2019 Prague, Czech Republic.]

Purpose: Providing educational services for Syrian refugee children is a new fact of life in Turkey, and the teachers who work at public schools and temporary education centers encounter some difficulties. The main purpose of this paper is to describe the problems faced in the process of educating Syrian refugee children as well as the solutions to such difficulties recommended by the teachers. Research Methods: The study was carried out using qualitative research methods and the phenomenological model to investigate the problems faced in the process of educating the Syrian students. The purposive sampling method was used in order to identify the participants. Thereafter; the plan was to interview the participants consisting of nine teachers of Syrian students. Interview forms were designed and developed by the researchers and used in the study. The content analysis technique was used during the analysis of the data. The NVivo 10 package program was used. Findings: In the study, the problems faced by the teachers were identified as a language barrier, cultural problems and discipline problems. While the teachers at the public schools appear to think that the students are on good terms with their friends, teachers and the school principal, the teachers at the temporary education centers seem to have a completely opposite view on the matter. Teachers state that they do not receive adequate support in the process of educating Syrian students and add that the students are provided with limited books and additional class support. Last, to solve these problems, the teachers recommend that the language barrier be overcome by teaching the Syrians the Turkish language, that materials and a curriculum for Turkish language education be developed, that the Syrian students be taught separately from the Turkish students, that the teachers be provided with in-service seminars, and that class populations be reduced. Implications for Research and Practice: Teaching so many refugees is a new phenomenon for Turkey. In order to properly overcome this issue, the MoNE must be in close contact with the teachers and educational institutions working in this process. Also, for the healthy functioning of this process, the need for support from both the general public and national and international organizations should not be ignored. [This article was presented at ECER 2016, "Leading Education: The Distinct Contributions of Educational Research and Researchers," in Dublin, Ireland.]

The International Virtual Exchange Project (IVEProject) has been connecting students across multiple countries through asynchronous forums on a large scale since 2015. However, considering the variety of virtual exchange methods and the advantages they bring to the field of foreign language learning, there is an increased need to explore the pedagogical possibilities of combining asynchronous and synchronous modalities, particularly across multiple institutions and countries. This short article reports on a pedagogical innovation which involved adding synchronous sessions conducted over Zoom to the asynchronous IVEProject forums. The authors arranged eight weekly Zoom meetings in which students from China, India, Japan, Jordan, Palestine, Türkiye and Syria participated in May-July, 2021. After the final session, a survey was administered to participating students and their teachers to explore their experiences. The results show that the majority of students appreciated and benefitted from the opportunity to communicate synchronously with peers from other countries. The paper also reflects on the benefits and challenges of combining synchronous sessions alongside the asynchronous IVEProject forums, aiming to derive lessons learned from this project in the hope that this will aid future EFL instructors in creating engaging virtual exchange projects which involve participants from multiple cultures and countries.

In this interview, Dr. Ozen Guven talks to Dr. Mary Mendenhall, Sonia Gomez, and Emily Varni about their research on teachers and teaching practices in contexts of forced displacement. Mendenhall, Gomez, and Varni recently authored "Teaching Amidst Conflict and Displacement: Persistent Challenges and Promising Practices for Refugee, Internally Displaced, and National Teachers," a background paper for the 2019 Global Education Monitoring Report on the challenges and opportunities available to teachers working in forced displacement settings. Drawing from their paper, which includes case studies from countries as diverse as Germany, Kenya, Chad, and Iraq, the authors discuss such topics as education planning, teacher professional development, teacher well-being and motivation, and teacher agency. Throughout the discussion, they highlight practices and policies that could be leveraged to strengthen support for teachers working in displacement contexts. Mendenhall, Gomez, and Varni are scholar-practitioners whose work focuses on the challenges faced by teachers in crisis contexts, and on the policies and practices that provide these teachers with comprehensive support. Guven's work examines teaching practices among Syrian refugees in Turkey.

Due to the intensification of global migration movements, the importance of studies in the field of acculturation has been increasing. In order to develop a healthy adaptation process between the migrant community and the host society, it is especially necessary to conduct studies on the acculturation processes of young migrants. Exploring the acculturation orientation of migrant students in Turkey, one of the leading countries experiencing the migration movements intensively, this study collected data from a total of 110 migrant students, 69 females and 41 males. "Vancouver Index of Acculturation", "Revised Social Contact Scale", "Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support", "Turkish Proficiency Level Questionnaire" and "Personal Information Form" were employed as data collection tools. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The analyses results revealed that the level of perceived social support of migrant students from their families and the quality of social contact significantly predicted their heritage culture orientation and explained 18% of them. In addition, the quantity of migrant students' social contact and the quality of social contact significantly predicted their mainstream culture orientation and explained 25% of them. As a result, the present study put forth that in order to support the heritage culture orientation of migrant students, the perceived social support from the family should be improved, and the quantity and quality of social contact should be increased to reinforce their mainstream culture orientation and to facilitate the acculturation processes. [This study was presented at the International Eurasian Educational Research Congress (EJER) (7th, Eskisehir, Turkey, September 10-13, 2020).]

Displacing the largest number of refugees in recent time is one of the devastating impacts of the Syrian war. Turkey hosts over 3.6 million Syrian refugees. Almost half of them are children in the preschool or primary school stage. Because refugee children are five times more likely to miss schooling than nonrefugee children, the provision of high-quality education in refugee settings is emphasized in the literature, as it offers children and their community protection, security, social cohesion, and it also prevents conflicts. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to report some key findings of a qualitative study that primarily examined Syrian refugee teachers' perceptions of quality education and their experiences of pedagogical change, which included adoption of more learner-centered practices in line with the standards set by the International Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), an organization that guides the delivery of quality education in emergencies. This paper explores teachers' beliefs about learning, their education, training, and their perceptions of learner-centered education (LCE) and the implementation of LCE in an urban Syrian refugee school in Turkey. In addition, the paper investigates teachers' vision of good pedagogy within their realities and capacities. The findings from this study showed complex contextual influences affecting the educational provision for Syrian refugees and LCE implementation challenges. A key implication that arises from this study relates to the suitability of LCE as "best practice" in the refugee context.

Turkey presents a unique picture as the host of the highest number of Syrian refugees after the outbreak of civil war in Syria in 2011. According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2018), Turkey has more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees half of whom are school-aged children. These children have limited access to their basic human right: receiving quality education. Fewer than half of approximately one million school aged (ages 5 to 18) Syrian refugee children could receive regular education services in Turkey (Directorate General of Immigration Affairs, 2016). Turkey welcomed a large number of Syrian refugees without taking necessary steps in its education system. Embracing cultural diversity via multiculturalism, and multilingual education, one needs to direct the attention of the audience to the long-term struggle of refugee children in Turkish education system and draw a conceptual framework for quality education and excellence in teacher education. The present paper is an attempt to highlight the role of multicultural education; more specifically through the lens of multicultural literacy practices. Highlighting the contributions of various genres of different ethnic and racial backgrounds such as songs, poetry, fiction, (auto)biographies, multicultural literacy could increase cultural awareness and understanding of pupils, teachers, administrators and the communities, and could help establish enriching learning experiences for Turkish and Syrian children. Multicultural literature provides a meaningful platform affirming differences and showing cultural connections, revealing social issues, necessitating action against injustice, and embracing diverse cultures. When implemented with care, multicultural literacy could increase academic achievement of ethnic minority and at-risk students, heighten cultural awareness and understanding of all students, and provide meaningful learning opportunities for all. The present paper aims to delve into the relationship among English as a lingua franca, Syrian refugee children education, and the theoretical underpinning of multicultural and multi-ethnic education in relation to English language instruction in Turkey.

This paper aims on revealing the perceptions of 5-6-year-old Turkish and Syrian children sharing the same classroom environment in a preschool education institution by use of metaphors. The study was designed in the phenomenology pattern, one of the qualitative research methods, and conducted with 34 Turkish and 22 Syrian children in the 5-6 age group who receive education in the same kindergarten. The study data were obtained through a semi-structured open-ended form and the content analysis method was used in the assessment of the data. The examination of the study data indicates that Turkish and Syrian children expressed several common metaphors such as 'tree, mother, sky, game, toy, playing, cat, mirror, dog'. However, children attributed different meanings to the metaphors they expressed in common. On the other hand, the study determines that Syrian children created more metaphors with positive meanings compared to Turkish children. The study has a very significant purpose in terms of understanding how the preschool-age children of Syrian families living in Turkey perceive their friends in the schools they attend, and how Turkish children perceive these immigrant children in their classes from the perspectives of both sides. Understanding the perceptions of Syrian immigrant children and Turkish children about each other is critical in terms of guiding educators, decision-makers, and policymakers in order to prevent unfavourable behaviours in schools where children study together, create a positive classroom-school climate, and support an intercultural approach for social peace.

This paper aimed to determine primary school teachers' practices and classroom examples regarding culturally responsive education (CRE) in their life science courses. The study was conducted with the participation of 20 teachers, half of whom were employed in a primary school in Gaziantep province and the other half employed in the PIKTES [Promoting Integration of Syrian Kids into the Turkish Education System] project in the same province. The study adopts a qualitative research design that involves semistructured interviews. The results revealed that the most common challenges experienced by primary school teachers were Syrian students' language and communication problems, as well as primary school teachers' lack of awareness about minority kids' culture and CRE. The most popular teacher techniques were those that aimed to increase student empathy. Based on the results, some suggestions were recommended for future studies.

This paper aims to compare refugee settlement and education policies between two geographically and culturally distinct nations, Australia and Turkey. Due to its geographical position in the Middle East, Turkey now hosts millions of refugees especially following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Australia also has a long history of hosting and supporting refugees from many countries and the Arabic-speaking nations are no exception. Conducting a comparative historical analysis, this study aims to fill the gap in our knowledge about the education policies and practices of both countries. Based on the expectations and needs of refugee students, it emerges that new policy practices and approaches backed by adequate academic and financial resources are required in both countries.

Turkey is home to 1.2 million child refugees whom has been the most vulnerable since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, which is considered to be the worst humanitarian crisis of this century. More than 50% of school age child refugees are out of school (UNICEF, 2017) in Turkey. This paper reports one of the findings of a case study of a temporary non-formal education project (Learning Turkish), that focused on supporting 4-6-year-old Syrian children with Turkish language and literacy development. The purpose of the paper is to focus on the teachers' and administrators' experiences in learning to teach young refugees in the time of crisis. Data sources include in-person interviews and observations. Findings from this study confirm that in times of crisis teachers and administrators focus on being in the moment, teaching in the moment and learning to teach refugee children. Teachers and administrators reported that the experience in this project contributed to their teaching and personal development and enhanced their civic responsibility and personal growth. This study also confirmed that improvements are needed in making schooling available to all refugee children and training teachers to work with students who have experienced trauma. One of the limitations of the project was its unsustainability due to funding. The paper concludes with implications for educational policy makers and non-formal education providers.

This paper aims to explore how refugee students construct pathways of access to higher education by drawing on interviews with 15 Syrian university students studying at different universities across Turkey. The research is located within a capabilities-based human development paradigm from which it outlines the factors that enable students' transition into university and looks at how they navigate complex higher education spaces. The refugees' narratives show that access to university is intersectionally shaped by personal ambition, family encouragement, community support, and the social and education policy. On the other hand, their educational experiences highlight that higher education works as a site of justice where the everyday racism, xenophobia, and discrimination is alleviated to a significant degree through providing a peaceful and safe space for coexistence with others despite its financial and pedagogical constraints. The paper draws attention to the agency of students in mobilising the assets they have gained for the good and well-being of their communities and fleshes out the values universities should promote for refugee students who have accessed university against the odds.

Within the Middle East and North Africa region, more than 5,600,000 Syrian refugees are currently registered with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) as seen here https://www.unhcr.org/. Amongst university-aged refugees, only a small fraction (Jordan -- 8%, Lebanon -- 6%, Turkey -- 1%) are currently enrolled in higher education. This paper, based on empirical qualitative research with Syrian refugee youth, is a critical investigation into their access to, and experiences with, higher education opportunities provided for them by local and international partners. Using interview and focus group data, the paper examines the availability, accessibility, acceptability and adaptability of higher education opportunities currently on offer for Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The paper argues that while access to higher education is increasing for refugees within the Syrian context, accessibility, acceptability and adaptability of these opportunities to the needs of refugees remains problematic. In this way, higher education often falls short of enabling refugees to live lives that they have reason to value.

This paper examines the ways in which administrators, academics and students living under conditions of authoritarianism come to imagine the university's political possibilities and horizons. To this aim, we first consider how alternative imaginaries are constructed and contained at Bogaziçi University, where the parameters of political possibility are pre-figured both by the current ruling regime and the enduring histories of empire that pre-date it. Then, we turn to Aleppo countryside, where we compare Syrian opposition universities to newly established Turkish ones. In doing so, we attempt to trace the ideational lifeline of Syria's revolutionary imaginary as it persists in higher education under conditions of disillusionment and co-optation. When taken together, we argue, these two cases point not to the primacy of belief in creating or sustaining imaginaries, but rather to the constitutive role of violence, coercion and control in shaping notions of who and what the university is for.

Since the outbreak of Syrian conflict 2011, Turkey has received more than 3.5 million refugees, including a great number of school-aged children. Providing education to Syrian child refugees has therefore become important in Turkey. To effectively deal with this issue, Turkish government has developed educational policies and legal arrangements. Establishing Temporary Education Centres providing education in Arabic based on an adapted Syrian curriculum, was one of the main changes in Turkish educational system to accommodate Syrian child refugees. This paper aims to present the current conditions and issues at TECs based on views of Syrian teachers working in these centres. The findings show that TECs have faced several challenges, which can be categorized under three themes: infrastructral, student-related, and teacher-related challenges. The issues related to each of themes are disscussed based on the views of teachers working in TECs and suggestions relevant to both policymakers and researchers are presented in this paper.

This article explores the education experiences of Syrian and Iraqi refugee children, specifically girls, enrolled in high schools in Australia, Lebanon and Sweden. Symbolic interactionism frames the analysis of in-depth interviews, demonstrating the adolescent girls' ability to take perspectives on their home environment, school, community and life experiences. Influenced by socialisation to these environments, the article asserts that refugee girls have defined their situations, developed their own personal perspectives and adjusted their behaviour in line with others. Additionally, this paper reinforces the analytical framework regarding refugee girls' schooling experiences through critical pedagogy by recognising the nature of their educational disadvantage.

The study aiming to evaluate dictation texts of A2 level Syrian students is carried out with 19 students learning Turkish in university, 7 female and 12 male, whose age range between 20-24. In this qualitative pattern study, dictation papers written by students were considered as data collection tool. The book of Forsa from Omer Seyfettin was utilized in the study. Texts dictated by the researcher were written down by the students and resulting research data was analyzed in various aspects. In the study lasting 4 weeks; on 1st week a text of 117 words consisting of 3 paragraphs, on 2nd week a text of 121 words consisting of 4 paragraphs, on 3rd week a text of 92 words consisting of 2 paragraphs and on 4th week a text of 152 words consisting of 3 paragraphs was worked on. To minimize the mistakes, resarch data was inspected twice. In the end of the study, it was found that students were completing dictation practices with an increasing pace, the amount of correct words written by the students was higher than expected, dictation practice accelerated students' writing swiftness and students developed their writing skills. Also in the research, it was observed that students fell short of writing Arabic-rooted words in dictation texts, on the contrary to the expectations.

This study aims to do a comparative analysis of the writing errors of Turkish, Azerbaijani and Syrian university students studying in English preparatory classes in the context of grammatical, lexical and spelling errors. The data of this qualitative case study were obtained from the 15 English preparatory class students from Turkey (N=5), Syria (N=5) and Azerbaijan (N=5). They were studying at A2 (pre-intermediate) level classes at the school of foreign languages of a state university in the northwest of Turkey. In order to get the information from the writing errors made by the students, 60 pieces of their writing portfolio papers were collected through the document analysis technique. The research data were analyzed through the content analysis. The results revealed that Turkish, Azerbaijani and Syrian students have some differences in terms of both the number and the types of writing errors. On the other hand, Turkish and Azerbaijani students also have a great number of similarities, but they differ from Syrian students in almost all types of errors. In the light of the results of the study, it has been concluded that most of the errors resulted from the mother tongue and culture-related negative transfers are frequently encountered ones in the teaching process of writing skills.

The main contention of this paper is that the interrelationship between ideology and policy shapes both the overall organisation of refugee education and the operational practices and procedures of staff working to provide education for refugees. Accordingly, this paper tries to answer how the education dimension of the Syrian refugee crisis is managed by the central education authorities in Turkey by assessing the political dynamics and milieu regarding the education of refugees. Building on a document analysis and interviews, this article traces educational administration of Syrian children with a focus on the political dynamics at play affecting the status quo in national education agenda in Turkey. While the impact of the refugee crisis on the greater national education agenda is revealed, the trade-offs involved in adopting certain governance strategies including decentralisation and recentralization is explored.

In the last few decades, forced migration movements increased and caused a number of people to leave their countries and homes. In this context, especially existence and quality of food, health and educational services have great importance. Refugee children do not only need to have an access to humanitarian needs but also education. Even though it may be hard for the host countries to make a new system or have the refugees adapt to the established system, getting this responsibility is crucial in context of human rights. Education system of Turkey should be arranged according to the refugees and respect their identities. In this paper, a multicultural model proposal is presented to establish a better education life for Syrian refugees in Turkey. [This study was presented by the authors at DAKAM's Interdisciplinary Studies Meeting on September 29-30, 2017.]

Earthquake death tolls are a basic statistical measure of the capability of a country to manage seismic risk. The extremely high Turkish death toll of 50,000 from the Kahramanmaras earthquake doublet of 6 February 2023 is the product of a cascade of detrimental factors. These need to be explained if lessons from this disaster are to be learned. This is the purpose and objective of this paper, which is a contribution to the interdisciplinary Frontiers research topic on integrated perspectives on the 2023 Turkey and Syria earthquakes: advancing understanding and preparedness across earth sciences, engineering and public health. This paper covers these three disciplines by focusing on casualties, and identifying crucial aspects of earth sciences and engineering which contributed to the high death toll. First, there was a surprising combination of multiple fault segment ruptures, and a high level of ground motion relative to the risk-based Turkish code, indicative of the under-representation of the M7.5+ earthquake doublet event in the national probabilistic seismic hazard model. This combination of fault segment ruptures was missing from all seismic source models. Furthermore, the capability of buildings to cope with strong ground motion was much reduced by informal construction methods, which eroded the margin of safety needed to avoid building collapse. The extent of building code non-compliance was widely underestimated in seismic risk models. Noncompliance is often hard to identify, but construction amnesties make noncompliance more transparent and trackable. The disastrous outcome of the Kahramanmaras earthquake doublet of 6 February 2023 has drawn global attention to systemic building code non-compliance, and the open official acceptance of informal housing. To demonstrate that this key systemic risk is far from being just a Turkish problem, notably in Istanbul, the challenge of Italian informal housing is highlighted within the context of international building code non-compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the prevalence of technological interventions in education in emergencies through a case study of private participation in Syrian refugee education in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. This research is conceptually situated within critiques of 'digital humanitarianism', simultaneously interrogating the role of technology in humanitarian responses and the roles of private actors who promote this technology. Our study demonstrates that a pervasive optimism concerning education technology in emergencies accompanies a surge in private actor engagement in Syrian refugee education. Findings indicate that while access to technology in educational settings is important to the Syrian refugee populations, private actors' disproportionate focus on technology is problematic, particularly when technological interventions are viewed as panaceas for refugee education; designed free from coordination; driven by profit motivations; and developed in a manner decontextualised from the learning context. This study attends to the necessity of countering the overwhelming optimism about technology as a panacea for refugee education, which fails to problematise the implications of interventions developed in the Global North for a distant 'other' in the Global South.

Population displacements have occurred in tremendous amounts in the last few decades due to the collapse in civil order of the neighbouring countries of Turkey. This situation not only created a need for researchers to deal with the social, psychological and economical aspects of this forced mobility, but also with the acculturation process of the refugees who left their home owing to serious human rights violations. Because they do not occupy a great space in the policy agendas, they are an 'invisible' group. This poses a major problem that there are no specific theories regarding the second language acquisition process of refugees, because they are considered together with all immigrants although their experiences distinguish them from other groups. Thus, feeling the need to be the voice of this unvoiced group with their SLA experiences and witnessing the swiftly changing dynamics in the world, the Middle East in particular, and its impact on the sociocultural context, this paper concentrates on the perceptions of Syrian refugees about the L2 (Turkish) and the target language group (Turkish people).

This article discusses the history of the Armenian genocide and the impact it brought on the Armenians. The author relates his experience attending a two-day memorial commemoration in the desert of Syria for the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide that he became fully aware of how profound the memory of that human disaster is for today's Armenians. He found that the most moving and thought-provoking talks were by Armenians who had lost family members in the genocide and who spoke about the profound hurt caused by the ongoing denial of the genocide, the importance of memory for a people who were once targeted for annihilation, and the stories of loss (family members, land, villages, towns, sacred areas--such as Mount Ararat, located only 40 kilometers from Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, but impossible to reach due to the closed border with Turkey--churches and other cultural monuments). (Contains 4 notes.)

The outbreak of domestic turmoil in Syria in 2011 forced Syrian people to seek refuge in the neighbouring countries, one of which was Turkey. This situation brought many problems, the primary of which was language. In this sense, teaching Turkish to Syrian students became a necessity. Therefore, conducting research on language skills was seriously important. This paper focused on educating Syrian students on Turkish reading skill. The work-group included 11 instructors working on Turkish teaching centres in Çukurova University and Adana Science and Technology University. Interview forms were used to get data prepared with the help of experts' opinions. Content analysis method was used in evaluating data. Data obtained from the interview forms were categorized and the codes were identified. The codes were interpreted and classified in accordance with their meaning. The same patterns of metaphors were grouped under the same title, then the frequency rates of the codes were identified. In order to explain the meanings of the codes, the instructors' opinions were quoted. According to the study data, the reasons for the difficulties in reading skill of the students are: being prejudiced to Turkish, feeling under pressure while reading Turkish texts, difficulty in explaining the meaning of any reading text, and alphabetical difference. It could be suggested that more sufficient texts should be used in classes and that instructors should be qualified enough to improve the students' reading skills.

Purpose: This paper aims to study recent approaches to peacemaking, particularly by Turkey and Russia, in a changing world and their implications for UN-led peace processes. The authors analyze the factors that allow parallel processes to UN mediation to emerge and discuss their influence. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents two in-depth case studies of mediation in Syria and Libya, where the UN, as well as Russia and Turkey, were actively involved in peacemaking. Findings: The authors find that parallel processes to UN mediation emerge if the UN process does not show progress toward a negotiated settlement and other third parties have leverage over the conflict parties. However, whether these parallel processes pose a fundamental challenge to the UN-led process depends on how sustained the third parties' leverage over the conflict parties is. If it lasts, it puts the UN in a difficult position to either participate in the parallel process and contain it but thereby also legitimizing it, or to abstain from participating but thereby risking to lose control over the mediation process. Research limitations/implications: Analyzing different approaches to mediation helps to better understand current dynamics of multiparty mediation, including an increased questioning of the effectiveness of UN mediation, and provides insights on how the UN may adapt to keep its relevance in a changing world. Originality/value: The paper is based on original first-hand data gathered between 2018 and 2022 through more than 50 interviews with UN officials, negotiation team members, political and civil society actors from Syria and Libya, (former) state officials and experts from Russia and Turkey, as well as external observers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that interreligious dialogue through study and friendships across the religious divide makes participants less susceptible to religious and cultural misinformation that is often used to maintain social bubbles, in which members draw clear boundaries between "us" and "them". Differences between social groups can culminate in a struggle between "good" and "evil" that can escalate into tension and violence. Preventing tensions and conflicts requires respect for differences, willingness to engage in dialogue, and a sound understanding of what religion is and the historical processes that have determined its development, distinguishing between empirical facts and images to which believers adhere. Because the author is a Dutch sociologist turned journalist from a conservative Christian family involved in interreligious dialogue in the Netherlands, Israel, and Egypt, the literature review presents contemporary religious developments in all three countries. The literature review is flanked by the author's personal narrative on the events that changed his views on truth and spirituality, making him more aware of the commonalities between peoples of different beliefs and leading him to a lifelong commitment to interreligious and intercultural dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates possible sociopolitical reconciliatory mechanisms to garner support for peacemaking in conflict-torn societies. Building on the Kurdish question in Turkey, associated with a four-decade-long armed conflict that has spilled over into neighboring Syria and Iraq, we identify policies and framing that can attract support for a political solution to the conflict. We highlight the need for a sociopolitical reconciliatory approach that addresses both the hopes of the warring minority and the fears of the majority. The results from an original nationwide survey indicate that minority demands can initially be addressed through a 'soft settlement,' lying between individual and collective rights. Our results point to the need to relax the concept of negotiated settlement, which has become the most frequent approach to ending internal armed conflicts in the post-Cold War era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Clinical supervision in providing mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSSs) is an ethical imperative and a key to ensuring quality of care in terms of service users' skills enhancement, well-being, and satisfaction. However, humanitarian contexts in low-resource countries usually lack sufficient infrastructures to ensure staff have access to supervision. Against this backdrop, a pilot supervision program was introduced in Bangladesh and Syria to help MHPSS staff provide quality care. However, supervision provided by experts unfamiliar with these contexts decontextualizes the supervision process and hinders cultural relevance. The aim of this paper is to present a decolonial model of supervision called "WONDERFUL Supervision". Methods: We provided fortnightly online supervision to a total of 32 MHPSS practitioners (seven in Bangladesh and twenty-five in Syria) working in humanitarian contexts in Bangladesh and Syria as well as their surrounding countries (such as Türkiye) between 2019 and 2021.The issues talked about were the skills needed for the practitioners to provide optimal levels of service, manage staff burnout, and present cases. Focus group discussions and reflective discussions included 19 participants, involving both practitioners and supervisors across sites. Results: Despite some notable effects, the supervision was obstructed due to being decontextualized, such as the supervisors not having adequate knowledge about the contexts and culture of beneficiaries, a perceived feeling of power imbalance, practitioners having limited access to resources (e.g., internet connection and technical support), and different time zones. This defect paves the way for a new mode of supervision, WONDERFUL, which takes into account contextual factors and other sociocultural aspects. Conclusions: WONDERFUL supervision has the potential to indigenize the concept of clinical supervision and thereby more sustainably and effectively ensure quality mental health care in resource-limited countries, especially in humanitarian contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey admitted millions of refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war. However, the situation of Syrians in Turkey remains precarious under the temporary protection regime, unable to qualify as Convention refugees due to Turkey's geographic reservation to the 1967 Protocol and with limited access to work permits and citizenship. Based on in-depth interviews, we provide a case study of refugee perspectives on refugee "labelling" as an absurd, historically contingent, and myth-telling process, which contributes to a growing body of research taking a bottom-up approach to understanding refugee protection. We put forward a refugee-interpreted view on labelling, finding that refugees explained labelling as an opaque and unpredictable digitised process, administrated through paper documents which act as talismans but also scams. Our study provides rich detail about how refugees subvert and cope with the labelling process through humour and mockery, historicity, and developing alternate forms of identity. We sought to use these interviews to work with refugees to turn a critical gaze on the paradigm of labelling from a refugee perspective and address the lack of empirical research centring refugee interpretations of labelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2011, 5.6 million people have fled Syria due to ongoing conflict. In Turkey alone, 3.6 million Syrians are confronted with a series of constraints once in the host country. This paper analyses, within the context of urban exile in Turkey, the different experiences and survival strategies of Syrians who are modulated by particular relations of race, class and gender. It aims to explain how refugees manage to create their own visibility in this new space full of limitations, and further explores how their newfound participation in these urban areas can deconstruct dominant representations of refugees, who are otherwise seen as threats or as voiceless victims. In all, this paper aims to go beyond the vulnerability of refugees, without neglecting the violence they endure. To do so, the study was conducted using a series of semi-structured interviews, complemented by an ethnological approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although during the first decade of the XXI century, as a result of coming to power of the AKP party and the implementation of the Davutoglian vision, the opening of the Turkish diplomacy towards the region and the Middle East had begun, however the Arab Spring had and still has negative impacts on the Turkish relations towards a number of countries of this region. In the first period of the ruling of Erdogan, as a result of the implementation of this vision and on the other hand, along with coming to power of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, a new conjuncture in the Turkish-Syrian relations was created, that had an influence on the mutual strengthening and development between these two countries like never before. Turkey and Syria didn't only eliminate their mutual political contests, but they raised their level of trust from zero to a very high level. The warm mutual relations were also reflected on the economic field. However, along with the beginning of the new process called the Arab Spring, which changed the strategic and political equilibriums in the Middle East to a large extent, the functionality of the above mentioned vision was brought into question in the bilateral relations between Turkey and Syria. This paper mainly is based on the following research methods: historical, descriptive, and in depth analysis. The basis of the source represents the books, scientific articles, press materials, and websites in the field of Turkish refugee policy. The objective of this study is to get the answer to the main question of this research -- Does the Syrian refugee crisis has implications on the equilibriums of Turkish state and society? To conclude, the increase of the number of Syrian refugees on the territory of Turkey, as a result of the Syrian conflict, has had and still has series of effects on the Turkish society which can be classified as economic, social, security and political implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elaborating on salient contextual factors, such as historical conditions, national history, militarised masculinity, and language, this study looks at how repertoires of everyday nationhood are deployed in relation to boundary‐drawing in the context of the recent refugee influx in Turkey. Drawing on ethnographic observations, semi‐structured interviews and focus groups with ordinary Turkish citizens in Adana, this paper sheds light on the complexities of everyday understandings of citizenship and nationhood with regards to the emergence of 'insider versus outsiders' notions. Results suggest that ordinary citizens evoke various notions of nationhood in everyday life in drawing boundaries against 'outsiders' (i.e., refugees) by deploying historically rooted national identity constructions (militaristic, unitary) and symbols (language, flag). This article, therefore, reveals a national identity boundary‐drawing mechanism involving widespread adherence to a militarised sense of nationhood, related more to other ideas of belonging than ethnicity. It further indicates that ordinary citizens, in their narratives, link such constructions and symbols with historical and current political contexts (e.g., the conflict between Turks and Arabs during WW1, or; current military operations in Syria). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the emotional distress experienced by the interpreters' meeting communication needs of Syrian refugees in Türkiye in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and legal and healthcare settings. The study presented in this paper also examines ethical challenges faced by the interpreters under emotionally difficult conditions and how they overcome this emotional distress. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 interpreters working in the aforementioned settings. The interview data were subjected to thematic analysis, and it was found that the majority of the interpreters were sometimes emotionally affected while interpreting traumatic stories. It was also found that interpreters may deviate from the prescribed behavioral standards when interpreting traumatic content even though they seemed aware of the relatively neutral interpreter role expected of them. Moreover, the interpreters experiencing emotional distress during their interpreting assignments were understood to develop their own methods of coping with it due to the lack of guidelines, relevant trainings and support mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the ongoing debate on the precarisation of journalistic work by looking at the case of Syrian exiled journalists in Turkey, whose professional and personal lifeworlds are underpinned by multiple layers of precarity. The article builds on data collected during a 3-month-long period of participant observations at the newsroom of Enab Baladi, a Syrian news outlet based in Istanbul, Turkey. It develops a relational notion of precarity through insights from the growing body of work on precarity in the journalistic field, as well as research on precarity and migration. It proposes a multidimensional understanding of the 'precarious newsroom' that takes into account the people, organisation and place, as a way to map how different layers of precarity, and responses to them, are articulated, experienced and negotiated. Our research underlines the complex anatomy of the precarious newsroom as a paradoxical place and an amalgamation of precarity and agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Uludağ Journal of Economy & Society / Uludağ Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Uludag Journal of Economy & Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper aims to evaluate the vertical-to-horizontal, V/H, spectral acceleration ratios from the earthquake ground motions recorded during the February 6, 2023 Turkey-Syria seismic events, which include doublet events with moment magnitudes of M w 7.7 and M w 7.6 that struck the city of Kahramanmaraş and a considerable aftershock with M w 6.7 that mainly struck the city of Nurdağı. Statistics of the observed V/H spectral ratios computed from records that have peak ground acceleration larger than 0.1 g showed that most records of the three earthquakes yielded spectral V/H ratios higher than 2/3, which is a typical value recommended by several seismic codes. Additionally, comparison of the observed V/H spectra with respect to the Ground Motion Predictive Models, GMPMs, for V/H ratios introduced by Bozorgnia and Campbell (2016), BC model, and Bommer et al. (2011), BAK model, revealed that both GMPMs mostly underestimate the V/H ratios at long spectral periods. Residual analysis showed that the capability of the BAK model for large source-to-site distances is more than that for small distances for which the ratios may be underestimated specially at long periods, while the estimations of the BC model do not significantly depend on the distance. Additionally, comparison of the observed V/H ratios with those computed based on the current 2018 edition of the Turkish seismic code indicated that the three considered earthquakes mostly yielded V/H ratios considerably higher than the code-based values in the long period range that could have higher damaging potential than those ratios in short period range. • Evaluation of the spectral vertical-to-horizontal, V/H, during the 2023 Turkey-Syria seismic events. • V/H spectra based on GMPMs and the Turkish seismic code. • Evaluation of the predictive equations using residuals analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: After the war in Syria, many people were forcibly displaced, and many others migrated to foreign countries. Many Syrians have been exposed to traumatic negative lifeexperiences during this process. In this context, this study was carried out to investigate the effects of pre- and post-migration traumatic experiences and living difficulties on the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Syrian refugees who have been residing in Turkey for more than five years. Methods: The sample size of this cross-sectional study consisted of 200 Syrian refugees. Research data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. Refugees' depression and anxiety levels were assessed with The Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed with the PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PCL-5). Logistic regression models were created to assess the effects of pre- and post-migration traumas, adverse events, and other sociodemographic variables, including age and gender, on PTSD. Results: The study unveiled a high prevalence of PTSD (55.5%), depression (33.5%), and anxiety(4.5%) among participants. Notably, male refugees and those exposed to armed conflict exhibited a significantly higher frequency of PTSD. In contrast, depression was more prevalent among female participants. Pre-migration traumatic experiences, especially near-death situations, were identified as significant predictors of PTSD. Interestingly, while pre-migration traumatic experiences were higher, post-migration living difficulties also emerged as a concern, with factorslike "inability to return home in emergencies" and "worries about losing ethnic identity" beinghighlighted. Path analysis further revealed that pre-migration traumatic experiences indirectly contributed to PTSD by exacerbating post-migration living difficulties. Discussion: Syrian refugees in Turkey, even after long-term residence, exhibit high rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. While pre-migration traumas play a pivotal role, post-migration challenges further compound their mental health issues. These findings underscore the need for holistic, long-term mental health interventions that address both past traumas and current living difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The millions of refugees in Turkey are left in political limbo. Anti-refugee sentiment in society has also become an issue. However, in contradiction to the earlier Muslim solidarity rhetoric of 'Muhajir and Ansar', the Turkish government has been implementing its repatriation project that requires a 'safe and dignified' voluntary return of a million Syrian refugees to Turkey's safe zone in Northeast Syria. The article argues that the country's current political, economic and social conjuncture overshadows the voluntary character of the government's repatriation project and claims that Turkey's voluntary repatriation project does not meet the requirements of the international refugee protection regime. Building on the policy-oriented approach to international law, the article examines the potential implementation of the preventive dimension of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) on behalf of Syrian 'returnees'. The article concludes that the 'two-phase' responsibility strategy that imposes responsibilities on the host country and the international community, which would be implemented simultaneously in Turkey's repatriation project, can protect returnees from possible danger in Syria. However, it can also set a precedent for future cases by filling a gap in International Refugee Law that does not address voluntary repatriation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Alternative Politics / Alternatif Politika is the property of Alternatif Politika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Middle Eastern Studies / Türkiye Ortadoğu Çalışmaları Dergisi is the property of Sakarya University, Middle East Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Turkey receives the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world. Some of these refugee women become mothers in Turkey. This paper reports on a qualitative, descriptive study that investigated the experience of seven Syrian women migrants who gave birth in Turkey, and explores their experiences of transition to motherhood in a foreign country. The research identified that aspects of transition can be clustered under five main themes: difficulties during the pregnancy period, giving birth in a foreign country, problems of refugee mothers, milestones in life of refugee mothers, and influence of cultural beliefs of refugee mothers on baby care. Key findings revealed that the women in the study had negative experiences related to being pregnant and having a baby in a foreign country. In addition to identifying challenges associated with migration, such as language barriers, racism, discrimination, poverty, and separation from their culture and family, the study highlighted the fears and difficulties experienced by refugee mothers, the cultural beliefs of refugee women about caring for their babies, and turning points in the life of refugee mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary examines Ankara’s ‘safe zones’ in Northern Syria, as well as elaborating on whether creating safe zones in response to the war in Syria and the subsequent humanitarian catastrophe was a choice or a requirement for Ankara in terms of irregular migration and border security. Turkey has declared multiple safe zones within Syria’s borders, using its right to self-defense under international law, to battle terrorist organizations that have taken advantage of the rising authority vacuum on Syrian land to put Turkish borders and nationals in danger. After an examination of the critical turning points in the Syrian civil war, the paper proposes that the safe zones serve three preemptive and prospective functions by providing a safe haven for the civilian population, by paving a step forward in the counter-terrorism campaign, and attempts to stop irregular migration and finally, by allowing Syrians to return to their homeland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]