Editing Urfa (section)

==== Syrian refugees ====
{{see also|Refugees of the Syrian civil war in Turkey}}
Since the outbreak of the [[Syrian Civil War]], large numbers of refugees from Syria have settled in Urfa because of its closeness to the border and opportunities for employment.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|111–2}} As of 2017, as many as 300,000 Syrians live in Urfa, out of the total population of 750,000 in the province.<ref name="EB 2017">{{cite news |title=Ramadan Sidewalk Merchandise Displays: Job Opportunities for Syrians in Urfa |url=https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2017/06/ramadan-sidewalk-merchandise-displays-job-opportunities-syrians-urfa/?so=related |access-date=30 November 2022 |work=[[Enab Baladi]] |date=21 June 2017}}</ref> As of 2014, about 79% of Syrian refugees in Urfa were Arabic-speakers, while the other 21% were Kurdish-speakers.<ref name="Hayata Destek 2014">{{cite book |title=Situation Report: An Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Şanlıurfa Province |date=2014 |publisher=Hayata Destek |url=https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/39769 |access-date=30 November 2022}}</ref>{{rp|7}}

In general, Syrians in Urfa have clustered in areas where home rental prices are lower; typical rents range from 600 to 900 liras (as of 2019).<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|112, 22}} These homes are often small, and often more than one nuclear family shares the same residence, so a 100-140-square-meter may accommodate 6–17 people.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|122}} Syrians with the lowest incomes are most heavily concentrated in run-down neighborhoods with a lot of [[squatting]] that were previously inhabited mostly by poor people who had moved to Urfa from the countryside.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|112}} Often, they are in outlying neighborhoods far from the city center.<ref name="EB Tarahum">{{cite news |title="Tarahum 2" Community Opens its Doors in the Turkish City of Urfa |url=https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2017/11/tarahum-2-community-opens-doors-turkish-city-urfa/?so=related |access-date=30 November 2022 |work=Enab Baladi |date=9 October 2017}}</ref> The largest number of Syrians in Urfa are in the [[Haliliye]] district, where they are especially concentrated in the neighborhoods (''[[mahalle]]''s) of Devteşti, Ahmet Yesevi, Süleymaniye, Bağlarbaşı, Şehitlik, Cengiz Topel, Şair Nabi, Yeşildirek, İpekyolu, Sancaktar, İmam Bakır and Yavuz Selim.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|119}} The second-highest concentration is in [[Eyyübiye]], whose neighborhoods (''mahalle''s) with the highest concentrations of Syrians are Eyyüpnebi, Hayati Harrani, Eyüpkent, Akşemsettin, Yenice, Muradiye, Direkli and Kurtuluş.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|118–9}} In both cases, the Syrians here tend to prefer single-story residences where rents are not too high.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|118–9}} The third urban district of Urfa, [[Karaköprü]], has a much smaller Syrian presence.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|120}} This area has been built up significantly in recent decades, with lots of luxury multi-story residences with high rents preferred by middle- and high-income residents.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|120}} The Syrians who live here mostly had relatively high pre-war incomes.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|120}} They are clustered in Maşuk, Karşıyaka, Akbayır and Şenevler.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|120}} As of 2014, the largest concentrations of Syrians in the city were in the mahalles of Hayati Harrani (165 families), Bağlarbaşı (115), Devteşti (105), Ahmet Yesevi (91), and Eyyüpnebi (90 families).<ref name="Hayata Destek 2014"/>{{rp|10}}

Syrian refugees in Urfa often struggle with financial difficulties and unemployment.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|122}} The language barrier hinders integration into the surrounding community, and many Syrians tend to form their own communities and interact less with Turkish locals.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|122}} Many Syrians in Urfa run their own businesses; workplaces belonging to Syrian refugees are clustered around Şehit Nusret Caddesi and Atatürk Boulevard, Sarayönü and Divanyolu Streets, and Haşimiye Meydan.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|122}} Many Syrians are also self-employed as street vendors, selling food, clothes, toys, and other items.<ref name="EB 2017"/>

Before 2017, relations were relatively friendly between Syrians and Turks, but after 2017 relations began to deteriorate as there was a growing perception among Turks that Syrians were to blame for economic stagnation.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|122}} The rapid increase in Syrian-owned businesses in Urfa, depressed wages for workers, and a perception that Syrians are "cheap labor"  have all contributed to anti-Syrian sentiment among Turks.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|121}} Some Turks also resent the fact that Syrian refugees have free access to healthcare and education.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|112}} In July 2019, local authorities removed all Arabic-language signs on Syrian-owned businesses in Urfa and made Turkish-language signs mandatory.<ref name="Karademir and Doğan 2019"/>{{rp|122}}