Migration is a phenomenon that takes place as a result of different variables from past to present and has social and cultural consequences at the same time. However, it is not possible to address these outcomes independently of the historical background between the migrant group and the country of origin. In this context, this study provides information on the history of migration in Anatolia and Asia and assesses Turkey's policies towards Syrians. In addition, interviews were conducted with 24 Syrian migrants living in Turkey. The study was conducted according to the principles of qualitative research. The data was analyzed using document analysis and descriptive analysis techniques. The findings of the study suggest that the Turkish state has developed an inclusive policy for the integration of immigrants and is not focused on assimilation. Given the problems and findings of this study, it will provide important information for immigration policy makers and educators responsible for the education of immigrant children.
Top1. Introduction
The history of global migration is as old as the history of mankind. Throughout history, people have changed the regions where they live due to various factors such as basic living needs, economic factors, social rights such as work, education and health, or political reasons. It can be seen that the severity of these factors varies periodically and regionally. While the main trigger for migration in early societies was basic needs, wars during empires and the process of nation-building had an impact in later periods. The employment potential in cities created by the Industrial Revolution shifted the main starting point of migration to the economy (Özdoğan, 2019). In times when modern societies were formed and people gained various social and political rights, people continued to migrate to find a better life or better conditions. Each mass migration movement has led to the emergence of various problems (Çapan, Güvenç, 2017; Eravcı, Ateş, 2018; Tepealtı, 2020).
The experiences of the past are behind the acceptance of migration as a social phenomenon today. Throughout history, societies have felt the effects of migration in terms of different variables and have passed on these experiences to subsequent generations. For example, the importance given to the transmission of migration culture lies behind the Turks' ability to maintain their strong existence as a nomadic community in the Central Asian steppes for many years. Today, there are still a limited number of Yoruk Turks who continue their lives as nomads. The fact that the Turks made Anatolia their homeland and started a long-lasting struggle with Byzantium, the dominant power of the period in this region, shows that although the Turks are a society based on nomadic culture, they also have a high homeland consciousness. The Turks' struggle for homeland and independence in Anatolia, which started with the Battle of Malazgirt in 1071, continued until the Great Offensive and the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief in 1922. As a result, it can be said that the phenomenon of migration and nomadism has a historical background that cannot be alien to Eurasian societies (Dokur, 2017).
The existence of nomadism as a way of life in Asian societies in the past is not enough to explain the migration phenomenon that exists today. Because when we compare the migration mobility that takes place throughout the world today with nomadism as a way of life in terms of the results it gives rise to, it is seen that they differ from each other. In today's modern world, different issues such as the precise demarcation of political borders, border policies determined by countries, and even the continental shelf problem, which is valid for coastal countries, affect migrants as the primary influencers and affected ones of the migration phenomenon. On the other hand, the measures taken by countries in the context of international law and border security have not prevented the migrant problem. It can be said that countries that have completed the process of social formation and are built on a cultural unity have only recently addressed the presence of migrants as a problem. In the first half of the 20th century, the presence of migrant groups in different countries was considered as temporary or guest by host countries (Ünver, 2003). However, the fact that immigrants gain status in social life and make their lives permanent in that country by consciously using the legal rights granted by the host country through family reunification has been a turning point for host countries in terms of developing policies for immigrants.