Avoiding false assumptions: the capacity of the Turkish national asylum system

This article examines the challenges faced by Türkiye's national asylum system post its 2013 reform, in the context of hosting the world's largest refugee population. While the reform initially garnered praise, subsequent scrutiny highlighted issues such as barriers to rights access, a prolonged limbo situation for asylum seekers, limited durable solution options, and instances of refoulement. Through an analysis of historical data, recent statistics, and administrative court decisions, the article identifies capacity issues as a central problem. This problem affects the efficiency of processing international protection applications and the quality of decision-making. However, the capacity challenges are not isolated but interlinked with policy decisions, indicating that resource limitations and policy frameworks jointly contribute to the system's difficulties. The article argues for the need to address these interconnected issues through enhancements in the system's capacity and strategic policy reforms, aiming to effectively tackle the multifaceted challenges faced by Türkiye's asylum system.