CULTURAL AND SPATIAL CHANGES CAUSED BY INTENSIVE MIGRATION IN URBAN AREAS; EVIDENCE FROM HATAY, TURKEY

Abstract

: In the case of mass migration, mostly refugees try to synthesize their own culture and lifestyle into the culture and lifestyle of the country in which they migrate. Since the civil war in Syria started in 2011, almost every region of Turkey has been exposed to intense migration of Syrian refugees. Hatay, one of the cities on the Syria border, has received approximately 500.000 refugees which causes significant spatial and social changes in city structure. Refugees have created cheap labor in Hatay in many work areas, which caused economic problems by reducing the income of citizens living and working in that region. The increase in rents and the spread of the population from the center to the periphery of the city led to serious urban problems. The aim of this study was to examine and create a number of maps to indicate how uncontrolled migration affects the cultural, economic and urban change of the city over time (2009-2019). Landsat satellite images, which are obtained by remote sensing techniques, were processed in image processing software; therefore social, economic, cultural and urban changes were discussed with the result data generated by applying several image classification methods. Important issues such as urban identity, zoning, destruction of historical values, alienation of local people from the region attract attention. For example, Arab signs rising from shops and Arab music make the streets look like a small Syrian. Citizens who follow these developments closely and now accept the reality of Syria have complained that British names were once placed in stores in the city, now points out that Arabic signboards have increased. görüntü işleme yazılımında işlenmiş; sosyal, ekonomik, kültürel ve kentsel değişimler çeşitli görüntü sınıflandırma yöntemleri uygulanarak tespit edilmiştir. Kent kimliği, imar, tarihi değerlerin yok edilmesi, yöre halkının bölgeden yabancılaşması gibi önemli konular dikkat çekmektedir. Örneğin dükkanlardan yükselen Arap tabelaları ve Arap müziği sokakları küçük bir Suriyeli gibi gösteriyor. Bu gelişmeleri yakından takip eden ve şimdi Suriye gerçekliğini kabul eden vatandaşlar, bir zamanlar İngiliz isimlerinin şehirdeki mağazalara yerleştirilmesinden şikayet etti, şimdi Arapça tabelaların arttığına dikkat çekiyor.