Attitudes towards Asylum Seekers in Türkiye Study

About the study

This three-part study examines public attitudes towards the rapidly growing asylum-seeker population, the reasons behind reactions, views on citizenship and return, perceived economic effects, and brands’ communication dilemma concerning asylum seekers. It was published in the July–August 2022 issue.

Key findings

• Only 16.2% of respondents do not encounter asylum seekers in everyday life; 86% believe asylum seekers cause discomfort in daily life, and 85% believe they negatively affect the economy (6.8% see a positive effect). 6.7% consider asylum policies appropriate.
• The most common positive description, at 21.7%, is “victims fleeing war or persecution”. 67.5% argue that no asylum seekers should be granted citizenship, while 27.2% favour granting it only to those who are educated and would make a contribution; 5.3% favour citizenship for all. 71.8% think asylum seekers will remain in Türkiye even after the war ends; they are expected to return when conditions permit.
• Discomfort with Arabic signs is high (78.5%); views vary by ethnic background, and the public is concerned about the future.
• The study’s implications for brands: broad campaigns focused on asylum seekers are regarded as potentially problematic, alignment with brand values should be the main criterion, and the political dimension should not be overlooked.

Methodology

The study was conducted with 600 people through the Eşzamanlı online survey panel, with a reported 95% confidence level and 4% margin of error. NUTS1 regional, SES, age and gender distributions representative of Türkiye were taken into account.

Ertan Aksoy’s assessment (summary)

Ertan Aksoy emphasises that the asylum-seeker issue is difficult everywhere in the world, but that these difficulties are incomparably greater in Türkiye. Linking the reaction to economic contraction with the observation that “sharing is difficult when resources are scarce”, he states that brands should not disregard the political dimension in communication concerning asylum seekers.