As of October 2019, more than 4 million refugees are living in Turkey—the largest refugee population in the world. Turkey’s Temporary Protection Regulation provides Syrians with access to services such as health, education and other social services, which are provided through national systems. The Government of Turkey has shouldered the bulk of the financial burden in responding to the needs of Syrians under temporary protection to date.

Over 98 per cent of Syrians under temporary protection now live within host communities across the 81 provinces of the country. As such, Syrians make use of public and municipal services in their daily lives. However, the sudden increase in population has proven challenging for local institutions such as municipalities, in extending services to refugees and ensuring social cohesion.

While hosting refugees was largely a new task for many, municipalities have demonstrated resilience in response to the refugee presence. Municipalities have coped with the direct consequences of refugee arrivals and presence by extending social services and adapted to address the specific needs of refugees. They have also transformed themselves to take on the role of fostering social cohesion and inclusion of new communities.