The business community is beginning to regard Syrian refugees as permanent residents. While the business community is suggesting temporary solutions, they also want long-term policies to be developed for Syrians, according to recent reports.

Official data show the number of Syrian capitalized companies in Turkey has reached 2,827. However, experts say this figure actually exceeds 10,000 with the inclusion of companies operating illegally.

While Turkey's agenda is busy with the elections to be held on Nov. 1, the business community wants the government that will be established after the elections to determine the legal status of Syrian refugees. The business community also wants solutions against unfair competition and regulate the labor force market.

According to Turkish daily Dünya, the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK) is preparing a report on 18 cities to investigate the impacts of Syrian refugees on the business community. The report is expected to be completed and shared with the public in October. Additionally, the Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce held the Second Common Mind Meeting under the title "Syrians within Us." Although there are no obstacles for Syrian companies to invest in Turkey, it is illegal to employ Syrian workers. Both reports offer suggestions to alleviate their economic and social life. Additionally, wealthy Syrian capitalists prefer to invest in Cyprus, according to the data from Gaziantep. They brought their capital to Turkey first and then transferred it to Cyprus.

More than 60 percent of Syrian companies operate in Istanbul. In other words, 1,709 out of 2,827 companies are located in Istanbul, according to official data. Additionally, there are 471 companies in Gaziantep, 250 in Hatay, 70 in Kilis, 56 in Şanlıurfa and 22 in Kahramanmaraş. These companies run their operations by enrolling in the chambers of commerce and industry. While 978 Syrian companies operate in wholesale trade, the number of registered repair companies is 606. Also, there are 288 companies running business in the construction sector.

The Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce report emphasized that Syrian refugees are not only consumers. "The fact that Syrian tradesmen who have good relations with Middle East countries do business from Turkey and carry Turkish goods to the Middle Eastern market thanks to their business connections, which can be evaluated to have a positive reflection on the economy. Even though there are no large capital inflows from Syria to Turkey, Syrians have established many companies to participate in commercial activities and production in the region. While the number of Syrian companies registered in our chamber prior to the civil war was 12, this figure rose to 347 in 2014 and 471 in August 2015," the report said.

Associate Professor Murat Erdoğan, the director of the Migration and Politics Research Center at Hacettepe University, who is preparing the TİSK report, stressed: "We will present data to facilitate social and economic integration. Syrians are focused primarily on finishing the civil war in the country; that is why there wasn't a comprehensive study about the refugees. However, today we see they are permanent. Germany is distributing immigrants to cities based on the prosperity of states. There is a systematic integration policy. In Turkey, a study should be conducted according to the occupations of Syrian refugees and other studies should be conducted to prevent negative social reactions."