The Turkish government has granted them the status of “Guests” as against “Refugees.” This means that the Syrians do not have access to the rights and safeguards promised by the 1951 UN convention on refugees. This is why many of them choose to go to Europe. Those that cannot go live in a state of Limbo. They either find odd jobs and when they cannot, they just lay around at “home” waiting for something to happen. As they come to realize that their current life in Turkey may last much longer than they initially thought, Syrian refugees either look for work or try to emigrate to Europe. Work is not easy to find and even when they do, it is very exploitative. Language barriers, Ethnic, security, and economic issues have led to local resentment of the refugee influx. Low wage jobs are being lost to the refugees. Rents are going up. Such issues have created a tension between the two communities. These tensions have led to further worsening of the living conditions of the refugees. They thought the war would end quickly and they could could back to their families and homes. A few months turned into a year. A year turned into a four years. Now the Syrian refugees are starting to realize that there is no end in sight. Their current life may become their regular life in Turkey.

Their current life is not exactly comfortable. A few of the Syrians who can afford it, live in houses with their families. Most others live in sub-human conditions - warehouses, cowsheds, cramped apartments, etc.

For the people in power war is a game of ideology, greed and power for the sake of power. For the common man war is fragmentation and dislocation. The life that they once lived is no more. The people they were close to are far away or no more. The transient nature of the universe manifests itself in full force. One can not take anything for granted. Not even their hands and legs, let alone their loved ones and good friends.