Biological citizenship and geopolitical power play. Health rights of refugees living with HIV in Turkey

Based on policy documents and interviews with health activists we ask how Syrian refugees living with HIV/AIDS (RLWHA) gain access to health services in Turkey and, more generally, how they are supported in or prevented from exercising their right to health. Legally, refugees and people with Turkish citizenship have equal rights. Yet there is a multitude of factors that influence the access that RLWHA have to health facilities and thus their health outcomes. A variety of socio-political phenomena in contemporary Turkey and its health system affect the situation of RLWHA. Additionally, factors that account for the general living conditions of Syrian refugees must be taken into consideration. This particularly applies to migration policies and related geopolitics. Against this background, we conclude that health activism in Turkey must combine two strategies: doing advocacy work for the RLWHA and claiming fundamental civil rights, most notably the freedom of movement and residence. In this respect, Turkish citizens do not differ much from refugees. As 'statizens', their status ultimately depends on the shifting rationales of government.