Forced Migration and Human Security in the Orthodox World

Abstract

This article focuses on the implications of the migration crisis caused by the Syrian civil war on Turkey’s ‘state capacity’. The civil war required Turkey to respond to a humanitarian crisis. The ‘open door policy’ followed by Turkey since April 2011 brought the influx of people seeking protection and humanitarian assistance. This policy was replaced by a policy of border protection in 2016. The massive problems caused by migration from Syria will occupy Turkey’s political agenda in the coming years. In addition to providing the scale of ‘social question’ that Turkey faces as a result of the Syrian crisis, this chapter deals with the dimensions of state response, including policy alternatives for Turkey.