(English) Muhammed Al Muslim

Muhammed Al Muslim continued his education until the end of middle school and started working in his hometown Aleppo. As the Syrian Civil War became a severe threat to his life in Aleppo in 2013, he first moved to Idlib. There he had worked for less than a year, then his immigration journey through Turkey has started. He entered Turkey from the countryside of the city of Antakya, and then proceed to Istanbul. He left part of his family in Aleppo and moved to Turkey with his brother. Until he married, he used to live together with his brother.

His profession was making pastries in Syria. However, when he first came to Turkey, he had worked as a tailor for almost a year. After he left his job, he had worked in a workshop in the metal industry. His work experience in the different fields has ended up in the district of Esenyurt in Istanbul once he began working at someone else’s patisserie. He used to do this job when he was in Aleppo and Idlib; he had his own restaurant. Therefore, he proceeded to open his own shop in Istanbul. Indeed, having his own business was his first plan when first came to Turkey; however, because of the conditions that are brought up with living in a different country as an immigrant, opening his own shop took some time. He is very thankful to his family for their support at the beginning.

He perceives establishing a company as an achievement; however, he also states the work has not finished once the business is established. In fact, the main task is to sustain the business. Therefore, the lack of necessary registration was concerning him, and he used to fear from the authorities. Thereby, he was not able to invest, operate, or act in a way he would prefer.

He heard about United Work, GIZ, and the project, at the municipality building, and then he contacted United Work. After one of the field workers has visited his workshop and introduced the project to him in detail, he became a part of the “Şirketim” Project. Thanks to this project, he now possesses all required documents such as tax plate, work permit, license, and necessary equipment such as pos machine and fire extinguisher. He feels very secure and confident ever since he met with the project and completed his formalization processes. He thanks United Work, GIZ, and Şirketim Project for their support.

In the future, he would like to expand his business in Turkey as he gains more knowledge about the Turkish market and people. He thinks that he has a decent relationship with people around him; however, he notes that he used to be exposed to discrimination while he was living in Zeytinburnu and thinks that the Asian side of Istanbul is a much better place for him to live and do his own business. He is a little hesitant about the future. He does not plan to go back to Syria; still, he avoids speaking, so certain about the future. Now, he looks forward to enhancing his workplace and expanding his business in order to reach out to a comfortable life with his wife and little daughter.