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Syrian businessmen succeed in Turkey

Syrian businessmen continue to partner with Turks in Turkish enterprises, even though such Turkish sponsorship is no longer required by law.
A Syrian shop owner, Mustafa Turkmen, poses during an interview on May 1, 2018 in Gaziantep, southwestern Turkey. - In the Turkish city of Gaziantep, home to around half a million Syrians who fled the civil war south of the border, hundreds of Syrian businesses are thriving in a boost both for the displaced community and their host country. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)        (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

Millions of Syrians who took refuge in Turkey have not been able to adopt the Turkish way of life, mainly because they prefer to live in isolated neighborhoods, but Syrian businessmen have largely integrated into Turkish society. Even though it is not required by law, Syrian businessmen also prefer to be business partners with Turks.

According to data Al-Monitor obtained from the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges in Turkey, Turks have entered into partnerships with Syrians in 7,972 companies from March 2010 to August 2018. The data show that Syrian businessmen began shifting their investments to Turkey after March 2010, one year before the onset of the civil war.

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