Authentic Istanbul: Understanding the Syrian Crisis over earrings and potatoes

We all have heard of Syria, and yet know so little about the country and its challenges. Politics in the Mediterranean region is not usually the topic of choice during dinner conversations in my country, but ever since I have embarked on my travels in this part of the world, there is this increasing need to rid myself of this wilful ignorance in order to better understand this region better.

Which begs the question: why am I writing about Syria when I am visiting Turkey?

Amidst the culinary experiences and historical landmark tours focusing on Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, we were interested in experiences that would offer insights into authentic Istanbul life. I chanced upon Urban Adventures’ “In Focus: The Olive Tree of Istanbul”, a 3.5 hour long experience focusing on Small Projects Istanbul (SPI) and its work with female Syrian refugees in the city. A quick Google search and reading of the tour synopsis shed further light on SPI as a non-governmental organisation in Istanbul that “operates a community centre which provides enrichment, integration and livelihood activities for Syrian and other displaced families rebuilding their lives in the city.” This intriguing description, and my curiosity to find out more about the work that SPI was doing for displaced Syrians in Istanbul, was enough motivation for me to drag my fatigued self to participate in this experience on a Tuesday evening (note: Istanbul is a city filled with uneven walkways and steep slopes).

Upon alighting at the Capa-Şehremini light rail station, the tour group was quickly guided through the local bazaar located in the heart of the Capa district, a neighbourhood west of the city centre that is way off the tourist track. Jen, our host for the evening, greeted us at the community centre and invited us to a lavish dinner spread of home cooked Syrian cuisine: hummus, freekeh (roasted chicken with green wheat), eggplants prepared with tahini, olive oil and lemon juice, and a most memorable dish of chicken and potatoes that I could find no gastronomical equivalent for throughout the remaining days of my travels in Turkey.

Displaced from Syria, Unwelcomed in Turkey

“We don’t see any bright light about our economy.” – A common refrain among the Turkish

It was also during this dinner that Jen shared about the ongoing Syrian Civil War and how Turkey had allowed Syrian refugees to enter its borders informally since 2011. At present, there are about 4 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, with another 2 million due to arrive in the coming year. This has led to some level of friction between the local population and Syrian refugees, with the latter’s capacity to take on undocumented labour employment for lower wages perceived by the former as competition in an already limited job market. Many locals also believe that the refugees are receiving financial assistance from the Turkish government, an inaccurate perception which has only served to deepen local discontent and prejudice towards them.

SPI: Capacity building in social cohesion and self-reliance

With no end to the crisis in sight, SPI’s mission has thus expanded from the initial provision of food and shelter to the purposeful inculcation of social cohesion between the displaced Syrians and their Turkish hosts. This includes integration programmes which aim to build trust and friendship between both parties by helping them understand the challenges that they face as both refugees and hosts. This is especially critical, since the acceptance of multiculturalism remains as a work-in-progress in Turkish society.

Drop earrings, not bombs

With Muhra, SPI has established a social enterprise to support displaced Syrian women in Istanbul. This initiative provides an avenue for displaced refugees to make a living, and even has a skills development lab for women to hone their skills in embroidery. There is also a teach-the-teacher system to ensure production quality and promote innovation, with those who have mastered core skills tasked to come out with new product designs and teach them to the rest of the production group. The end product? Lovingly handmade products such as earrings, t-shirts, bracelets, necklaces, scarves and bags, with each item commemorating the stories of Syrian women who have moved on from the crisis and are now leading new and meaningful lives. In particular, the earrings have developed a rather distinct branding (‘Drop Earrings Not Bombs’), and are now exported to overseas markets such as USA, Amsterdam and Taiwan. By the end of SPI’s sharing on Muhra, everyone in the room was not only raring to get their hands on these products, but also very impressed by how this organisation has succeeded in empowering the Syrian women in Istanbul.

“Just drive forward, I am not going back there again.” 

What was most unforgettable was the privilege of hearing some of the stories about the Syrian refugees who spent time in the community centre. There was the story of a displaced Syrian-Palestinian family, whose mother tearfully sent her two young sons to Germany on their own, and was only able to join them three years later on a reunification visa. There were stories of those who were lucky enough to make it to safe havens like Denmark and Canada, but were unable to work in their professions as dentists and engineers as the local authorities did not recognise their qualifications. We also had the opportunity to hear Rahaf’s story. Now a Syrian refugee who is working full time with SPI, she shared with us snippets of her life in Syria as a banker in between her demonstrations on earring designs and t-shirt imprints. While she and her friends used to make light of the political situation and call each other after the bombings to ask each other “are you dead yet?”, her initial tolerance of random bombings as a daily occurrence eventually gave way to resignation. On her last visit to Syria, as she narrowly missed being struck by missiles on the walk home,  Rahaf boarded a taxi for the Lebanon border, and told the driver to “just drive forward, I am not going back there again.” Yet coming to Turkey presented its own set of challenges, and it was humbling to hear her candid sharing on the steps she had to take to integrate in her new home.

“Be a voice, not an echo.”

In a world that is so easily torn asunder by power and politics, this experience with Urban Adventures and SPI has shown me the impact that caring hearts can have on a helpless and marginalised group in our society. The tension between locals and migrants is one that is playing out across so many countries, and it is inspiring to see the work that organisations like SPI are doing to weave these communities together and empower them. Amidst all the depressing news on Syria, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have witnessed the hope in this community, and the graciousness and resilience of the human spirit. While you might not find tours like this on a typical listicle of things to do in Istanbul, it is arguably one of the most important and enlightening experiences to understand the tensions in Turkey today.

P.S. Have you read about our awesome experiences with Urban Adventures in Moscow and St Petersburg?

ETSY Explores were guests of  Istanbul Urban Adventures. However, all opinions remain ours and are completely unbiased.

This article first appeared in ETSY Explores.