The Other of the Other: Syrian Refugees from the Perspective of Kurdish Minority in Turkey

Abstract

Syrian refugees make up one of the largest refugee populations, and Kurds are one of the largest internally displaced ethnic minorities around the world. In Turkey, members of both communities suffer discrimination and violence on both an individual and collective basis. This chapter analyzes data from semi-structured in-depth interviews and fieldwork observations conducted in 2018 and 2019 to evaluate Kurdish community members’ perceptions of and attitudes toward Syrian refugees. Looking at them through the lenses of social dominance orientation, social identity, and collective psychological ownership, the chapter analyzes how Kurdish participants view and respond to the forced migration of Syrian refugees and the rights granted to them under Turkey’s temporary protection policy. The study shows that with the presence of refugees as an outsider community, identity-related attitudes about rights and freedoms among minority groups can shift radically.