ABSTRACT

This article discusses the presence of Syrian workers from the perspectives of native workers in the construction sector. Syrians are the latest group who entered the ethnically multi-layered Turkish construction labour force that leads to the fierce competition among various worker groups. The features like ethnicity, family relations and the city-origin define these various groups among workers. Syrian workers reshape the hierarchy among construction labour force and caused new confrontations among Turkey’s different ethnic identities. This research examines these dynamics from the perspectives of native workers based on the findings of qualitative research. In-depth interviews were conducted among domestic workers N=32 in Diyarbakır in 2015. The research findings show that there is a competition among construction workers for available job opportunities. After the arrival of Syrian migration the competition among construction workers has intensified and the bargaining power of all workers in Turkey have decreased. This paper examines the confrontations between native workers and Syrian workers in the construction sector in Turkey