It is a relatively well-known fact that cuisine from one's childhood can be very comforting, but for Syrian Mohamad Bitar, foods that he grew up consuming provide not just comfort but have also opened the door to prosperity for him ever since he had to leave his war-ravaged country. Bitar, 49, is one of the fortunate ones among the almost 2 million Syrians that have sought refuge in Turkey.
His idea to use food as a way to interact with his hosts and also help his fellow countrymen have access to both employment opportunities and a taste of home has proven to be such a hit that his first modest establishment, setup in 2012 in the conservative Istanbul neighborhood of Aksaray, also known as Küçük Halep, or Little Aleppo, has now become the Tarbush Kitchen (Fez in Arabic) chain.
“Thanks to my restaurants, Turkish people get to learn many details about Syrian cuisine. Initially it was difficult to convince them to taste our specialties, but after a certain amount of time we succeeded in changing their minds and they became regulars,” Bitar told Al Arabiya News.
A teacher-turned-entrepreneur, Bitar currently owns seven restaurants and two bakeries in Istanbul.
He has more than 300 fellow Syrians in his employ, paying them an average monthly salary ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 Turkish Lira ($350 – 1,000), thus enabling many of them to bring their families to live in Turkey as a result.
Before Syria succumbed to civil war, he owned a trade company — registered in Istanbul — that was engaged in the mosaics, stones and marble trade between Syria and Turkey. This previous familiarity with Turkish customs, culture and the Turkish market served him well in establishing his new business.
As the situation in Syria worsened he decided to move to Istanbul because, in his words, “there were many conveniences such as being able to apply for visas and many job opportunities”.
According to the data from the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, about 32 percent, or 491, of new companies formed in Turkey by foreign nationals in the first four months of 2015 were directly set up by Syrians. Last year, Syrians founded 1,257 companies in Turkey. Entering the restaurant business has proved to be particularly attractive for the Syrian community, resulting in an abundance of venues now serving Syrian delicacies.
Food as a bonding experience between people
Hande Bozdo?an, founding director of the Istanbul Culinary Institute, says the long-term success of the ever-expanding Syrian restaurant scene depends on the capital invested and the quality of the places. “It is a golden opportunity to introduce their own gastronomy culture in the new society they live, make a decent living and also provide other refugees with employment avenues,” Bozdo?an told Al Arabiya News.
According to Bozdo?an, gastronomy is one of the easiest ways to bring people closer in cultural terms, and reduce the prejudices that arise due to a lack of knowledge.
Metin Çorabat?r, former spokesman for the UN Refugee Agency in Turkey, who now heads the Center for Asylum and Migration in Ankara, says success stories, like Bitar's, should inspire Turkish authorities to re-design the integration policies. — Al Arabiya News
