The terrorist attack which took place in Reyhanlı was a tragic indicator that the instability prevailing in neighboring countries could easily spread into Turkey. A similar tragic scene, which we are used to see in Iraq following the 2003 invasion and in Syria following the 2011 uprising, took place in Reyhanlı, Hatay. Official statements and a general outlook in the Turkish public opinion holds the Syrian regime responsible for the attack. Accordingly, it is possible to read the action as the Assad regime's attempt to punish Turkey for its Syria policy and to expand the battle field by drawing Turkey into the conflict.
The event affected Turkey deeply. However, the locals, the residents of Reyhanlı, were directly exposed to violence. This situation further deepened polarizations in the region, which is already directly affected due to its bordering Syria, and where a tense atmosphere prevails. Reyhanlı has been hosting as many Syrian refugees as its total population since the beginning of the events in Syria. Which also radically affects the social, economic and security in the region. As ORSAM, we have carried out a great number of interviews with Syrian refugees who have settled in Reyhanlı since the beginning of the events in Syria, and listened to their life stories. We thought we should bring these interviews that we've been publishing on ORSAM's website to the attention of the Turkish public opinion once again after the recent event in Reyhanlı. We present this study, in which we gathered the aforesaid interviews, to the attention of the public opinion by hoping that it helps understanding the situation in Reyhanlı and contributing to the outlook on Syrian refugees; and we extend our thanks to everyone who contributed to the study.
