Contact and Distance with Syrian Asylum-Seekers

SUMMARY

This section explores participants' contact and distance from Syrian refugees, their emotional responses to refugees, and the impact of humanitarian values on perceptions of refugees. Additionally, Yasushi Hazama from JETRO examines the influence of individuals' emotions on their attitudes toward refugees by creating an emotional thermometer in his article titled "Personality, Location, and Feelings Toward the 'Other'."

• How often do you encounter Syrian refugees when you go outside?
• How often do you greet or speak with Syrians in your neighborhood or elsewhere in your daily life?
• Do you encounter Syrian refugees in your daily life? In what places or settings?
• Would you evaluate whether you have positive or negative feelings toward Syrian refugees living in Turkey? (on a scale of 0-100)
• Proximity to personality types in Turkish society.
• Proximity to values.
• What level of relationship might you have with Syrian refugees? Where might you encounter them?

Nearly half of the society comes across Syrian asylum-seekers every day. Despite this, the practice of communicating with refugees is limited across the general public; the proportion of those who state they never talk to or greet refugees is 62 percent. The acceptability level of Syrian refugees has decreased compared to 2016. However, interaction established with refugees increases positive feelings towards them. A relationship is observed between conservatism and a positive view of refugees. Those with the most negative view of refugees are Zafer Party voters. Finally, the change in the average value on the emotion thermometer according to location and contact is striking.