Federation of Southeastern Industrialists and Businessmen (GÜNSİAF) President Kasım Fincan noted that there are many skilled Syrians in different sectors and said, “Syrians particularly have serious potential in the production of shoes and sandals as well as dessert making.” He stressed that these refugees do not just expect the UN to take care of them and stated, “They are aware that they are obliged to be here and while being here, they want to be productive.”
Emphasizing that in order to lessen the problems in industry arising from the difficulty of finding skilled workers, Fincan stated that Turkey could obtain significant know-how from these refugees in certain sectors. “We can surely employ Syrians along with fellow Turkish workers,” he added but underlined, “We do not perceive them as cheap labor.”
Fincan explained that businesspeople have been seeking the implementation of legal regulations to enable the Syrians to have access to jobs. “We believe this will also have a positive impact on their morale while providing benefits to the Turkish economy.”
In addition, Fincan stated that once the civil war in Syria is over, Syrians will go back to their country, spreading word about their experience in Turkey, thus creating a positive image about Turkey among other Syrians. “After Iraq, the Syrian market will be become a major one for us as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gaziantep Entrepreneur Businessmen's Association (GAPGİAD) President Akın Çalışkan stressed the importance of Syrians joining the labor force. “We are facing a serious shortage in the skilled labor force and believe Syrian refugees could provide a solution to the problem. Such experience is also crucial for them to continue their presence in a work environment when they are back in Syria,” Çalışkan stated, adding, “Once legal problems are sorted out, we will be ready to provide employment to large number of Syrian refugees.”
Free Industrialist and Businessmen's Association (HÜRSİAD) President İlker Hasırcı also commented that the shortage of skilled labor is a common problem among its members. He pointed out these Syrian refugees could be placed in jobs in almost all sectors. “The regulations must be enforced for the employment of Syrians, especially in Gaziantep, which will both help refugees and businessmen. Among the refugees, there are many people who have been employed before the war and if they continue to have no work to do, this could trigger disturbances. We need to take steps to prevent such incidents and extend a helping hand to our neighbors,” Hasırcı said.