Property rights in the Syrian conflict: remedy for the displaced

Abstract

Since the beginning of the Syrian uprising in March 2011, Turkey has been the leading host country for the displaced. As of December 2017, 3.3 million Syrians reside in Turkey under a temporary protection regime and there is an expanding discussion on the future of these people. Despite sporadic reports of individual or family groups returning, measures have evolved around themes of their more or less permanent integration in Turkey. Issues of property rights have barely featured in these discussions. Based on findings from previous research, the article argues that whether Syrians in Turkey return or not, it is in the interest of the displaced as well as the host country to work towards a scheme where their property rights in Syria are restored, or in cases where they did not exist prior to the conflict, granted.