Start

October 2, 2019 - 12:00 pm

End

Address

Koc University Rumelifeneri Campus, Faculty of Social Sciences Building, SOS143   View map

MiReKoc Seminar Series of Fall 2019 kicks off with Fatmanur Delioğlu’s presentation on ‘Changing Perspectives of Syrian Women involved in “The Kitchen Project” and Integration Policies of the Municipality of Izmit’. The presentation and discussion will take place on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019, at 12:00, in SOS143. Registration is required for participants not affiliated with Koç University.

Title: Changing Perspectives of Syrian Women involved in “The Kitchen Project” and Integration Policies of the Municipality of Izmit

Abstract: Turkey has hosted many Syrians since the Syrian civil war started in 2011. The Turkish government chose to include Syrian refugees as persons under Temporary Protection which have created uncertainty about their future in Turkey.  At the local level, the lack of clear, comprehensive and sustainable policies affected the policies different municipalities developed towards Syrians refugees. Different municipalities have often used the migration policies developed for Syrians as a political instrument. The Al Shami Kitchen Project, started in 2015, aimed at integrating Syrian women economically and socially in the city of Izmit. Initially, 15 Syrian women participated in the project. Then, Izmit Municipality started to support this project. During the project, the participant women’s views of both the municipality and the government’s migration policies have changed. Although the relationship between women and the municipality is based on a  hierarchical relationship, the women have been able to establish a horizontal solidarity network amongst themselves that is far from hierarchical. For this study, interviews were conducted nine women who participated in the Kitchen Project. The interviews were conducted during the 2018-2019. This study will analyze the impact of this solidarity network on women’s integration and the relation that formed with the municipality.

Short-bio: Fatmanur Delioğlu completed her BA in Political Science and International Relations at the Yıldız Technical University, in 2016 with a dissertation on Syrian Refugee Women: The Case of Fatih District in Istanbul. She is a  master student in the department of International Relations at Istanbul Sehir University. Her master thesis about Syrian Refugee Women Solidarity Networks and Turkey Integration Policies. She completed an Erasmus internship at the Gender and Diversity Institute in Kiel, Germany (2016) and participated in a research project analyzing Turkish media coverage of Syrian refugees at Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University (2018). She completed an internship at Istanbul Policy Center(2019) She was a guest researcher in Migration Research Center at Koç University (MiReKoc) (2019 Summer Term). Her research interest include integration policies, refugee solidarity networks, gender, social cohesion and role of non-governmental organizations in constructing social peace.