From challenge to opportunity: survival strategies of Syrian migrant entrepreneurs in Türkiye

Purpose This study aims to examine the structural and cultural challenges faced by Syrian migrant entrepreneurs in Türkiye and to identify the survival and adaptation strategies they use to achieve business sustainability. Grounded in resource-based theory (RBT) and the entrepreneurial resilience framework, the study seeks to explain how migrant entrepreneurs transform intangible resources into sustainable competitive advantages under the uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative research design based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 11 purposively selected Syrian migrant entrepreneurs operating in different sectors in Gaziantep. Data were collected between June and October 2024 and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The resilience framework guided the deductive structure, while emergent themes were identified inductively from participants’ lived experiences. Findings Syrian migrant entrepreneurs face language barriers, limited financial access, institutional complexities, weak market knowledge and marketing constraints. To overcome these challenges, they mobilize intangible resources such as multilingual skills, social capital, cross-cultural knowledge, resilience and experiential learning. Key strategies include investing in language acquisition, collaborating with local actors, leveraging informal financial networks, seeking professional support, adapting marketing practices and using digital platforms. These practices reflect dynamic resource recombination and capability development, enabling entrepreneurs to transform constraints into resilience and sustainable competitive advantage in the Turkish market. Research limitations/implications The sample size is limited to just 11 Syrian entrepreneurs operating in Gaziantep province. This reduces the generalisability of the findings. Furthermore, limiting the study to forcibly displaced Syrians excludes the experiences of migrant groups who have migrated for economic reasons. Practical implications This study highlights the strategies immigrant entrepreneurs should prioritize for success, such as learning the language, building social capital and financing diversity. In addition, it recommends that local governments and state institutions develop support mechanisms for immigrant entrepreneurs, such as microcredit, mentoring, language courses and simplified bureaucracy. Originality/value This study contributes to the migrant entrepreneurship literature by moving beyond descriptive accounts of challenges and offering a theory-driven explanation grounded in RBT. By contextualizing RBT within forced migration and institutional volatility, the research demonstrates how competitive advantage emerges not from resource abundance but from strategic resource recombination under uncertainty. The study provides a novel empirical contribution by focusing on Gaziantep, a strategically significant yet underexplored context in Türkiye.