Turkey should create immigration policy for Syrian refugees, report says

Syrians will stay in Turkey for an extended period of time, with some potentially spending their entire life in Turkey, a new report titled "The Effects of the Syrian Refugees on Turkey" has stated, adding that the government should therefore formulate a comprehensive immigration policy for the future.

"The initial presence of Syrian refugees on Turkish territory has now become a permanent one. It is crucial to create an immigration policy that includes the prevention of reactions from local communities," said the report prepared by the Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM) and the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV).

"There should be a holistic policy covering education, working conditions, accommodation, social services and improving the receptivity of the host community," it added.

If the integration process works effectively, the Syrian refugee situation might contribute to the diversity and development of a multicultural structure in Turkey in the long run, the report also said, adding that the situation could strengthen the bonds between the neighboring countries in the future.

The report urged that the most serious security threat is a risk of a violent mass reaction prompted by provocations capitalizing on local anger toward Syrian refugees.

The biggest concern among people living close to Turkey's southern borders is their perceived vulnerability to terrorist attacks, the report added.

"According to official numbers, there were 1,645,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey as of November 2014. Unofficial numbers are estimated at around 2 million. Around 1.2 million people have been included in the 10 million already residing in cities near the Syrian border, and about 85 percent...