Wealthy Syrians founding businesses in Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Syrian refugees, who are holding passports and have enough money, prefer to stay in Turkish cities instead of camps. AA Photo

As tens of thousands of Syrians flee the unrest in their country for Turkey the investors among them are looking to put money into in Istanbul, data from the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) have shown.

Companies founded with Syrian capital in Istanbul have increased from 28 to 89 in the first seven months of the year. A 218 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, according to İTO data.
Consultancy firms top the list of new Syrian companies in Istanbul with 14 enterprises as tourism and accommodation, plastics, transportation. Textiles and food companies follow.

Total capital of new firms exceeds 6.2 million liras

The total capital of these 89 companies registered by İTO exceeded 6.2 million Turkish Liras. This figure stood at a little higher that 1.8 million for the 28 companies registered in the first seven months of 2011.

Syrian refugees with passports can rent houses or stay with relatives in Turkey, rather than find accommodations at camps where those without passports are hosted.

Syrian businessman, Gazi Mısırlı, told Anatolia news agency that Syrians with money prefer not to stay at camps. “Usually the ones with a poor financial position and with no passports go to the camps.

Passport holders may stay anywhere in Turkey. They are in Istanbul, Bursa, Mersin, Hatay, Gaziantep, İskenderun and Mersin. They go to all provinces in the south. They hold a four-month residence permit,” he said. Another option many have looked into is staying in the country as tourists.

There are many businessmen from both Aleppo and Damascus in Istanbul as Turkey offers them and their families a safe place to stay, he said.

“It is easy for foreigners to create a company in Turkey. It ends up in only one day and the next day they have their trade register numbers,” Mısırlı said. Syrians coming to Istanbul usually prefer to stay with their relatives, said Nizameddin Aşa of the Istanbul Chamber of Real Estate Companies and Consultants. “They usually stay in the city’s Bağcılar, Güngören, Kocamustafapaşa, Aksaray and Fatih neighborhoods.”

The neighborhood authorities direct these people to foreigners’ desk at the local police station for registration.