Migration and Social Cohesion: A Field Study on Meskhetian Turks Migrating to Turkey with Structural Equality Model

Social cohesion refers to structuring communities living together in a settlement around common values, reducing inequalities in wealth and income, and generally the behaviors and feelings of people to take a joint venture, tackle common challenges, and have a sense of being a part of the community in which they belong. Social cohesion is important for the social peace and welfare of countries. This study aims to develop a scientific solution proposal to the problem of social cohesion in Turkey, where immigrants and disadvantaged groups are concentrated. In the study, the relationship between social cohesion levels of immigrant individuals and social capital, positive psychological capital, social hope and economic expectation in social cohesion was analyzed by creating a hypothetical model. Structural Equation Model method was used in empirical analysis. Structural Equation Model result: It has been determined that there is a very high positive correlation between Social Cohesion and Positive Psychological Capital, Economic Expectation, Hope and Social Capital. In the study, it was seen that Meskhetian Turks who migrated from Ukraine to Turkey had a high level of integration with the people of the region. The study was conducted with Meskhetian Turks settled in Üzümlü District and provides a perspective for research at regional or national level within the scope of social cohesion.