Did you seek help elsewhere? What about in terms of financial help? Did you apply for any financial help? Banks?

4.4.If not family, did any institution help you? If so, how?

4.5.Banking system

4.6.Role of the government in the process of starting up a business

4.7.Financial program access?

No, its all from my income/savings from Syria, the main problem is to bring the money to turkey, i have to go back to Syria, i have to bring the money here, it is hard, complicated and dangerous.

Follow up question: What about programs where you can submit a business idea and win money?

Frankly we don’t know if there is no such program, we didn’t hear of such help.

4.8.Barriers registering/starting the business due to your temporary status/the ‘risk of being sent back’

5. Current situation of your business?

5.1.Is your business facing any changes at the moment in your business?

- Competition: When we started in 2016, there was only my building and Emin’s building.

When they saw many people coming all the Turks converted their building into touristic buildings, and now there are 9 buildings owned by Turks. Its really hard, when they see people and money coming from this sector, they all go to the same sector.

- Regulations: In the first 2 years no one came to us, and our papers were confidential. But in 2017 there were no tourists, later they came from the police station, every tourist you get have to register their information and send it to the police. Later They came from construction ministry and said it is historical area you cannot have tourists here, i said it’s not only me; they came and closed the building. We made the contract in other names to not risk my citizenship and asked the construction industry how much i had to pay to work legally, my neighbors are working, but they said to me you cannot work without giving a reason. We want to work legally and want someone to direct us, we can go and ask Emin but he is not from the government, there are things he doesn’t know. There is a hotline, when you ask them, they say we don’t know. There is a lack of transparency and guidance, many issues are not clear. We saw the people checking the water meters etc, and he was wearing a suit. In Syria, people from public sectors you could see they were poor. But still they take extra money to do things, but since we don’t speak the language, we cannot understand this. The owner of my building said you can easily pay 15 thousand TL and they will bring you the legal papers, and i will be legal, they all want to take money from you without doing nothing.

- Taxation: the taxes i pay myself, 99% of expenses i do myself. I don’t know what my accountant does, he takes my money and has my papers. Every time, i need papers and i tell him i need the papers to do things, he leads me where to go, he just fixes the books.

Follow up question: What about your Documents?

I don’t have documents, i cannot leave my building, if i leave they will take me out of Turkey, even though everything is in order. If you are a refugee you have to have a permit, but we have work permit and tourist visa so you can travel freely. There are many police checks along the roads in turkey.

5.2.What would you suggest should be changed/done better to facilitate refugee entrepreneurs open successful businesses?

Suggestion for people that want to come to turkey, don't come.

Follow up question: What about suggestions for the Turkish government?

I’ve been here for 5 years, every 2 years i have to renew my documents. I love the country, it has great history and resources and infrastructure. I do believe they can be the greatest country in 3-4 years if they shift their mentality. There is a political agreement, not because they are doing something here in real time. They did not do anything in practice. They should invest in the industrial of tourism and other sectors and they might be a great.

Follow up question: And what would you suggest organizations that help Syrian businessmen?

They can start doing conferences, make small legal organizations with the government, make a small union. They said that there in more 24 thousand Syrian companies in Turkey, we should come together so that we can form a union. If they make it legal and work with the government.

Follow up question: Has Corona affected your business?

It has affected us 100%. We lost bookings, everything. Because we are outsiders, the rent is very high for me, i pay 2500 TL, but if it was Turks, they would take 1800 TL. They won’t come to me, they will find a cheaper place. There is only one from Russia client.

Friedrich Hegel said that we learn from history that humanity learns nothing. I don’t believe people will stay at home during this time.

Follow up question: What are your plans for the Future?

I want to go to another country legally for educational purposes for me and my daughters.

We are human, i have the right to learn good quality education, i can support myself, i want to go there legally.