Assessing GoT/TRC Programming for Gender Sensitivity: Turkey's Reaction to a Regional Nightmare

According to a report by the International Crisis Group, on April 29, 2011, the first group of 250 Syrians crossed into Hatay, seeking shelter from an upsurge in violence at home. By October 2012, over 100,000 refugees had made their way into urban and camp areas,[1] and the most recent estimates by UNHCR suggest that 194,000 Syrians now live in Turkish camps and 210,000 Syrians have established residence either with family or on their own in urban locales. Based on current migration trends and no foreseeable end to the fighting in Syria, the UNHCR further predicts that Turkish camps and cities could host up to 300,000 and 700,000 people, respectively.[2]

The GoT currently extends a regime of Temporary Protection to Syrians who have fled the conflict and are now living within Turkey. In legal terms, this falls short of full refugee status and results in the absence of the ability to: apply for transfer to third countries as UN-recognized refugees; participate legally in the work force; and, formally enter educational institutions. The Temporary Protection regime stems from Turkey’s signing of the 1951 Geneva Convention and its 1967 Protocol geographical limitation, which translates to zero recognition of refugees from outside European borders.[3]

Currently, there are 19 fully functional camps in varying proximity to the Turkish-Syrian border. The following is a list of regions and associated camps that house and provide basic services and security to registered Syrians: Adana (Adana camp), Adiyaman (Adiyaman camp), Gaziantep (Islahiye, Nizip-1, Karkamis, Nizip-2 camps), Kilis (Kilis camp), Hatay (Altinozu, Boynuyogun, Apaydin, Yayladagi-1, Yayladagi-2 camps), Karhamanmaras (Kahramanmaras camp), Osmaniye (Duzici, Cevdetiye camps), and Sanliurfa (Ceylanpinar, Harran, Akcakale camps). 5 camps are container camps, 2 camps are comprised of pre-fabricated units, and the remaining are tent camps.[4] According to WFP, the Turkish Government plans to cap the building of new camps to 21 total.[5]

The cost of providing for displaced Syrians has been and continues to be enormous, with the Turkish Government footing a sizable portion of the bill. To date, ICG estimates that the GoT has spent $750 million on the construction, staffing and maintenance of camps. As of April 2013, GoT was spending $50 – 60 million a month on caring for refugees.[6]

Within the camps, AFAD, which is the division of the Turkish Government that handles emergencies and disasters, and TRC personnel are solely responsible for camp management and program implementation. AFAD also closely coordinates with various line ministries (e.g. the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Family and Social Services, etc.) to provide essential services to camp residents. As one UN representative put it, this approach differs significantly from the refugee camp structure preferred by the UN when it is the apparatus in charge; in other words, each agency within the UN typically designs and operates programs within its mandate, which, in effect, creates a kind of siloed and sector-specific approach to refugees’ needs. The Turkish Government, on the other hand, has opted for a top-down, camp management structure wherein the full range of refugee-related needs are addressed by government officials with respective expertise.[7]

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[1] International Crisis Group. P. 5.

[2] UNHCR RRP 5, p. 213

[3] International Crisis Group. P. 5.

[4] International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. “Emergency Appeal: Turkey: Population Movement.” May 28, 2013.

[5] WFP Official. Interview. July 18, 2013.

[6] Ibid.

[7] WFP Official. Interview. July 18, 2013.