Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Myson Darden
Mr.Phillips
English 3
11 December 2017
Many people show a blind eye to the violence that has arose from the Syrian Civil War. This crisis
arose from division within the Syrian government and opposition to President Bashar al-Assad and his role of
presidency. With tension and violence on the up rise, Syrian civilians feel it is necessary to flee their
homeland to escape from persecution. When it comes to the Syrian Civil War in the Middle East people
seem to think that it impacts only Syria. The Syrian Civil War is affecting Lebanese and Turkish economies,
because they have to provide expensive aid, shelter, food, and care toward the mass number of refugees
The Lebanese government has taken a fatal blow when it comes to their economy in recent years.
According to studies from Julia Romano at the Wilson Center, Up to 1.5 million displaced persons are
believed to have crossed the border into Lebanon. This means that Syrians refugees have felt so persecuted
by violence that they have felt the need to flee their homeland Syria, in mass numbers. According to Julia
Romano , This rapid percentage increase in the refugee population is a serious burden on Lebanon's
economy and Lebanon cannot afford to increase public department. This is stating that a peripheral
country like Lebanon isnt fit and stable enough in their economy to load refugees into the country because
they dont have enough money to support and aid them and they must focus on their own internal financial
The citizens of Lebanon are being laid off negatively affecting their financial status. According to Al-
Araj Ellias from the Al Monitor, This crisis is also expected to increase rampant poverty among the Lebanese
and widen the income inequality gap .When an unexpected group of people can into Lebanon an already
Darden 2
competitive workforce just gets more difficult when Syrians come in search for work and can be paid less
than Lebanese workers causes many Lebanese to become unemployed. This is expected to widen the
amount of space between the amounts of money people make from highest paid to lowest paid that can
negatively impact the Lebanese government. Expert Soner Caynptay from the Washington Institute states,
Lebanese laborers are unable to find work competing in a particularly intensified informal sector.
Caynptay explains that with more than 1.5 million displaced persons from Syria infiltrating Lebanon, the
Lebanese are unable to find work because of the amount of Syrians taking away their job opportunities that
The fear of violence in Lebanon has greatly impacted their tourism negatively therefore negatively
impacting their economy. According to Julia Romano for the Wilson Center, Tourism, especially from the
Gulf states has dropped, avoid traveling to Lebanon due to safety concerns. The Syrian Civil War have left
tourist not wanting any part in this affected area and dont feel safe entering anywhere in or around
Lebanon due to increased violence in recent years which has dropped their GDP and most importantly their
economy.
Lebanon is not the only that has been affected, Turkey is also a major country that has been
negatively impacted by the Syrian Civil War, refugees entering the country have been to say the least costly.
Supporting and supporting as well as aiding the Syrians have a struggle. Soner Compthy from the
Washington Institute said, Currently over 163,000 Syrians are being housed in thirteen refugee camps and
two temporary receiving centers in Turkey. Soner explains how the Turkish government is barely managing
to house the mass load of displaced Syrians in Turkey. Mogul from the Market Mogul stated that it was
estimated that by the end of 2017 refugees had directly cost Turkey around 3 billion dollars. The outright
cost of food, shelter, aid, and equipment held in the camps and housing units have been exponentially
Not only has it been costly to aid the Syrian refugees, The Syrian Civil War has caused trade in
Hande Akment from Newsweek, Turkey exported goods to Syria worth 1.8 billion dollars in 2010, in 2012
Turkey's trade value with Syria deteriorated to 497 million dollars. Before the crisis Turkey and Syria had a
healthy relationship importing and exporting goods with each other, but with violence arising in Syria and
Turkey trade has plummeted, severely impacting the already deteriorated Syrian economy as well as the
plummeting Turkish government's economy. According to Mogul from the Market Mogul, This conflict also
generated significant cost for Turkish companies also trading with the rest of the Arabian Peninsula as the
transport links via Syria were blocked or unsafe to drive through. With terrorist and nonconformist such as
ISIS on the rise trade ports along the Arabian Peninsula have been blockaded, so importing trade to Syria
cannot be completed as well as exporting goods to other countries outside of Syria, this has severely
Not only trade has trade decreased but, Turkey's economic spending on military has gone through
the roof. According to M. Hande Akment for News Week it states that By 2017, military spending increase
to 22.6billion, an increase 25%. Akment is explaining that with the threat of non conformist and a possible
threat of dangerous Syrian refugees Turkish military has had to use loads of money to defend themselves
from possible invasions or attacks. According to Metin Gurcan from Al Monitor The government is planning
to meet an expected 30% increase in military defense expenditures by direct taxation of its citizens and a
series of price hikes to be borne by the public Gucan explains that with military defence spending on the
rise the citizens are being impacted by having to be highly taxed in order to pay off military cost. This takes a
huge toll on the population to cough off pricy tax money in order for the country to be correctly equipped
with the right weaponry, and is divided in the Turkish population weather it is right or not to tax Turkish
citizens.
Darden 4
The Syrian Civil War's impact on Turkey and Lebanon`s economy should be taken very seriously
because the crisis is negatively impacting the surrounding countries of Syria's borders economy which can
later affect other countries. A report issued by the World Bank estimated the total cost of the Syrian Civil
War to all 5 countries (Syria,Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey) at about 35 billion according to M.
Hande Akmendent from Newsweek. It`s time for citizens everywhere to take a closer look at the Syrian Civil
War and understand its impacts and see what they can do to help.
Darden 5
Works Cited
Canpthlay, Soner. Syrian Refugees on Loose. Washington Institute, The Washington Syrian Crisis
Elias,Al-Araj. Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East. Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle
Niger, Hokesel. Economic Struggles of the Middle East. Crisis Group, The Crisis Journalist
Romano, Julia Criag. Lebanese Economy Affected by Syrian Crisis . Wilson Center, 16 June