Success Stories

His life started in Damascus, Syria, in 1985. He finished high school and started working in a restaurant. He was 17 when he started to work. After that, he joined the army; however, he was demobilized from the army. Following his leave off the army, he established his own business in Damascus. Life was decent for him until the Syrian civil war started; he had to leave his business behind and had no choice but to immigrate to Turkey.

In 2016, he immigrated to Turkey alone. Nevertheless, after a few days, his wife and children followed him to Turkey. Now they are living a safe and happy life in Esenyurt as a family. Unfortunately, not as a whole family since he only has his wife and children in Turkey, while his other relatives are still living in Syria.

Actually, he was initially involved in the restaurant business starting in Syria. Leaving this establishment behind and coming to a country that he had no idea about the language, rules, regulations, and the market made it hard for him to start a brand-new business in Turkey for a year. However, after a year, in 2017, he decided to establish his own business after learning about the market. Before starting his own business, he did not work in any job in Turkey. Although he had learned about the market and obtain a basic knowledge of the law, he could not practice the requirements of the law. Therefore, because of the missing registrations, he felt insecure while operating. Even though he always thought of completing the formalization process, he never could undertake the necessary steps.

Prior to the project, he did not hear about United Work or GIZ. Once, one of the field officers paid a visit to his restaurant, he learned about both of the organizations. Later, he listened to the project from the field officers explicitly. Followingly, he decided that it would be beneficial for his business, and he participated in the “Şirketim” project. In the beginning, he learned about the rules of trade through his own research; however, it was not enough to make his company 100% formal. Thanks to the project, he expanded his knowledge on formalization, and he could undertake the necessary steps with the help of the project. Within the scope of the project, following the three long years of informal business practice, he became a taxpayer, registered in the chamber of handicraft, obtained a work permit, and municipality license, as well as completing the necessary inventories in his restaurant. Today, he feels secure, and for this reason, he is grateful to all project partners and project staff.

Until 2015, she lived in Damascus; however, the Syrian civil war has also changed her life as millions of Syrians. In 2015, it became difficult to endure painful developments occurring in Syria; therefore, she decided to leave and immigrate to Turkey with her family. When they transit to Turkey, she had to leave her husband behind since he was under arrest, and she had her two daughters with. Shortly after their arrival, her husband was released with the support of one of the peace organizations, and he joined the family in Istanbul. After a while, one of her daughters immigrated to the Netherlands and the other one to Saudi Arabia.

Actually, the grocery shop was her former pilot husband’s initiative. Since he could not find a job in the field of his profession, Samira and her husband decided to start a grocery shop in Avcılar, where they accommodate. Unfortunately, her husband passed away a few months ago. After his leave, Samira heads the shop, although she does not have any previous experience in the grocery sector or any other sectors in Syria or in Turkey. Heading the shop is essential for both completing her husband’s path and earning her life. Now, she lives in Avcılar alone and runs the shop by oneself. As a first working experience, as well as a first-time entrepreneur, she did not have any knowledge regarding the rules and regulations that entrepreneurs obliged to comply with. Therefore, she did not complete any registrations, documents, or inventories, and this situation generated significant risk for the sustainability of her business, and her shop was open for the penalties following the inspections.

Prior to the “Şirketim Project,” she had knowledge about neither United Work nor GIZ. She heard about the project from her friend and paid a visit to the United Work office in Şişli, İstanbul, for obtaining more information, what necessary terms are to benefit from the project, and whether she is eligible to participate in the project. After the project team provided the necessary information and the road map of project processes, she has readily decided to start the formalization process of her shop with the support of the project.

When she participated in the project, she had not held any necessary registration. Starting from February 2020, the formalization process started; at the first step, she has become a taxpayer after registration to the tax office. Later, she registered to the Chamber of Handicraft, received E-Signature and KEP, as well as receiving POS machine and fire extinguishers. Then, her work permit application was completed with the help of the United Work field officers’. However, because of the measures to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak, the Directorate General of International Labor stopped their operations in practice. Therefore, approval of her work permit application has been delayed until the mid of July. Hence, the application for the municipality license was postponed until August. Nevertheless, her application for the license was swiftly reviewed by the Avcılar Municipality, and it has been approved. As a result, she has received all necessary legal papers to operate in line with Turkish law.

She is grateful for all project parties and appreciates their work. The project has given excellent results and has been an excellent experience for her. In the end, she possesses all necessary documents, registrations, and inventories to operate a fully legal business in Turkey. Unless the project in general and project staff supported all processes, she would not be able to manage procedures as formalization demands significant economic resources, knowledge on the field, and it is incredibly tiresome and challenging for the one who can not speak Turkish fluently.

Samira thinks that Turkey is a wonderful country, and she can foresee a future here; therefore, in the future, she plans to stay in Turkey. Nevertheless, she is well aware of her missings to integrate into Turkey fully: fluent Turkish and expanding business. Since she can not speak Turkish fluently, she does not have many Turkish people around, and improving her Turkish speaking skill would help her to meet with new Turkish people and having a more social life. As the Turkish market is significantly competitive, she is well aware that competing in the market requires expanding the business, holding various products in the shop, and serving more people. Thanks to the project, now she has power originated from the holding necessary legal registration, and instead of having a fear of being shut down, she can imagine expanding her business.

In Syria, he used to work as a barber, owning a shop for years. In 2014, because of the Syrian civil war, he and his family were obliged to leave their country. At that time, they had three children, Bekir, his wife, and children transit to Turkey through the Azaz district of Aleppo.

When he arrived in Turkey, he did not have any financial resources. Therefore, he was not capable of establishing his own business. Nevertheless, he preferred to work in the field of his profession and worked as a barber in another barbershop. After a period of time, he acquired the necessary financial resource and established his own barbershop in 2018. However, establishing a company demands more than leasing a shop, purchasing necessary machinery equipment, and opening it every morning. There are rules and regulations which every entrepreneur is obliged to comply with. Although he established the company, he struggled to comply with related rules and regulations. This situation generated a constant concern of being shut down and perpetual considerations over the sustainability of the business for him.

Prior to the “Şirketim” project, he had an idea about neither United Work nor GIZ. When one of the field officers paid a visit to his shop, he has learned about both of the organizations, as well as the project. Once he heard the details of the project, he immediately decided to participate because he was not holding any necessary legal registration. Starting from the tax plate, all necessary registration and inventories – chamber registration, E-Signature, POS machines, fire extinguishers, work permit, and municipality license – were completed in line with the related laws.

All the support provided within the scope of the project has been very beneficial for him. First of all, with the formalization process, all the challenges and concerns he faced because of the informality of the business disappeared. Now, the entire business is in compliance with laws and regulations so he can operate safely and confidently. In addition, barbers are one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 outbreak; therefore, the financial support provided at the end of this process was also very beneficial. Thanks to this support, the economic impact of the epidemic on his business has subsided, albeit limitedly. In this framework, he thinks that the “Şirketim” project is very successful, and all the supports given are meaningful and useful. He feels grateful to everyone and every partner that took part in the implementation of the project.

With the contribution of all the support provided, in the near future, he wants to expand the business, open a bigger shop and different branches, and create employment for more people. In both economic aspects and social aspects, he feels happy in Turkey. He states that Turkish people have always been tolerant of him and that he did not encounter any racism. Besides, he wants his children to have a better life; he wants them to study and to feel secure. Therefore, in the near future, plans to stay in Turkey. However, he states that if the political, social, and economic situation in Syria improves and evolves, he considers returning to Syria.

In Syria, he had been operating as a tailor for his father’s shop. A short after the Syrian civil war began, he made the transition to Turkey. In the last month of 2012, he moved from Aleppo to Kilis with his family and stayed in Kilis for a while. Later, they moved to Istanbul, thinking that Istanbul was a better option for their families. Today he is married, has two children, and lives with his family. In addition, her mother lives with the family, as her father passed away because of a heart attack four years ago.

To start a new life in Turkey has never been an easy transformation in their life. He worked in several textile workshops for four years before starting his own business. However, the prevalence of informal work practice in the textile sector in Turkey was also affecting him. Work intensity was high, salaries were low, and he was working without insurance. After his father passed away, his responsibility towards his family reinforced, and he decided to establish his own business. It started out as a micro business, buying two or three machines.

After starting to operate, he operated without any registration for four years. Even though he worked for four years without legal registration, this has always been a burden on him. This made him insecure when deciding to grow their business. Even when he wanted to buy a new machine, he had to think twice because of this situation. The reason avoided him from the registration was that he could not fully know what he had to do due to a lack of Turkish language skills and knowledge over laws, and he did not have the necessary economic resources.

Until one of the project field officers visited him, he did not know about United Work or GIZ. When the field officer explained the project in detail, he liked the project very much and decided to participate. During the project process, he became happier and felt more secure at the end of every stage. Besides, he particularly appreciates United Work employees’ work. He states that they have done their job with care, and he is delighted with this situation.

The most significant contribution of the project to him was the project’s guidance on the laws. Especially when he did not know what to do, the project staff patiently guided and were able to support completing all necessary registrations. With the support of the project, he registered to the tax office and chamber, acquired E-signature, fire extinguisher, and POS device, obtained a work permit, and finally received the municipality license. After the registration process, he became more and more aware of the rules and regulations he is responsible for. In this way, thanks to the “Şirketim” project, he can now work safely and securely. Besides, he was strongly affected by the pandemic due to the decrease in exports; he faced a serious loss of income. For this reason, the economic support provided within the scope of the project was very useful for him. In this context, he appreciates everyone and every institution that has contributed to the project and wants to share his thanks.

In the future, he definitely does not think to return Syria or to leave Turkey. He is pleased with the treatment and the hospitality of the people in Turkey. In the meantime, he continues to improve his Turkish, stating that he currently has a 60% command of Turkish. In the context of these circumstances, even though the pandemic period has badly affected, his only aim for the future is to develop his business and provide his family a better life.

Saad was born in Saudi Arabia, but later, he and his family return back to Syria, where is the family’s hometown. In Syria, until his leave, the family lived in Homs. However, following the Syrian civil war, Saad was no longer saw his future in the country, and he could not abide by the adverse impact of the war on his life; therefore, he obliged to emigrate to Turkey. When the war in his region escalated, he moved to Idlib where is close to the Turkish border, and it is possible to pass over. During his compulsory travel, he was alone, and his family stayed in Syria. Shortly after his transition, he immediately decided to move to Istanbul, where there are more job and livelihood opportunities, and he settled in Avcılar, Istanbul.

In Syria, he did not possess a profession since he was studying. However, he was helping his uncle in his shop, which specialized in selling clothes and perfumes; in this way, he has learned about running a business. Prior to his latest entrepreneurial initiative, he did not work in Turkey. Instead, he immediately established his own business, considering it would be more beneficial for him.

Although it has been an avid initiative for him, he did not have adequate knowledge of the legal field for establishing and running a business in Turkey. In the beginning, he structured the business physically; however, the obligatory formalization process was missing, and this situation was causing him a perpetual fear of being shut down and detaining from additional investment. Prior to the “Şirketim” project, he did not know anything about the GIZ or United Work and projects of these organizations. When he heard about the project from his uncle-in-law, he has learned about the United Work. Later, he called the project number, and field officers of the project informed him about the project and GIZ. Followingly, he immediately decided the participate in, considering the missings of his business. The main contributions of the project to his business have been completing legal formalizations, including tax plate, work permit, license, pos machine, and fire extinguisher, and learning governmental regulations. Hence, now he feels more comfortable and does not feel pressure from legal authorities. Therefore, he is grateful to the project partners who funded and implemented it.

In the future, he does not think about going back to Syria permanently. He states that he would only go back to Syria to visit his family. He thinks that he has a better chance of having a good life in Turkey. He has a good relationship with the Turkish people, and he does not encounter any problems. Besides, he would like to improve his business by investing more. However, taxes generate a heavy burden on him, and he faces challenges following the pandemic. Nevertheless, for him improving his business is crucial, and he would prefer working more to sustain his business; instead of giving up.