We landed in Istanbul just 48 hours after a failed coup brought panic to Turkey’s streets and drew the world’s gaze. The plot by the military was promptly quashed by government workers and citizens loyal to Erdoğan  – and probably a greater number who just didn’t want the instability. However, the uncertainty and fear it created has lingered, particularly for the almost 3 million Syrians Turkey has provided basic refuge to, for which it served as a reminder of just how precarious their position in the country is.

We were in Turkey to investigate the working conditions for Syrian refugees in the garment industry, a follow up of our work in February to see how brands were seeking to protect refugees from exploitation in their supply chains. The influx of Syrian refugees to Turkey has provided a cheap, vulnerable labour force which has been quickly incorporated into the garment factories. The refugees are fleeing a desperate situation trying to find some semblance of a life for themselves and their families. In Turkey, they have little access to healthcare, to education, and the vast majority aren’t able to work legally. But the factory work gives families a life line even though they are vulnerable to exploitation. Some brands, worried by insecurity and the publicity around the exploitation of refugees, might consider moving out of Turkey. If they have concern for the refugees, they shouldn’t.

Jobs in the garment industry provide an opportunity. Not an opportunity for a life, but for an existence, to scrape by. One of the better paid (although still below minimum wage) Syrian garment workers we spoke to said that their salary is barely enough to live on, remarking “we don’t expect to be able to live like we did in Syria, but we need to have a life”. He worked in a small basement workshop of 10-15 workers, mostly Syrian, making clothes without labels which are then fed into a bigger factory to fulfil orders.

 Factory work gives families a life line even though they are vulnerable to exploitation.

We saw these workshops ourselves. Walking down a seemingly residential street you notice the strip florescent lighting glaring from basement windows, you hear sewing machines, and you quickly become familiar with the chemical smells of the garment districts. Glancing through open windows and doors we saw young children in dangerous working conditions. In some areas, in every other building there is a workshop, easily 10 in a street, and then 20 more streets just like it.

The Syrians we spoke to are working 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. They are too scared to take a day off sick in case they lose their job. And what do they think of the attempted coup? They were relieved it was over and that Erdoğan remains in power. It’s understandable; The Turkish Government has provided basic refuge to Syrians, as too many European countries, including the UK, have turned their backs.

There is a real opportunity for international business to contribute to bring greater prosperity and security to long-suffering refugees, and the Turkish communities who have welcomed them.

But the coup and the subsequent crackdown have created ripples. Empty beach resorts are a reminder that Turkey’s international image has been harmed by these events, people are reluctant to travel to the country. That goes for the apparel business too. And whether it is a legitimate concern for security, or an easy excuse to distance themselves from Turkish garment production - which is under increased scrutiny for its working conditions and treatment of Syrians – brands might cut and run, abandoning Turkey.

This would be catastrophic for Syrian and Turkish apparel workers and their families. It also risks destabilizing relationships between the two; as the pool of work available gets smaller, tensions are bound to rise. Given the high domestic unemployment rate it is perhaps amazing that tensions between the two communities have not already bubbled over, but how much more pressure can we expect the country to take?

Now more than ever we need to see commitment from garment brands sourcing from Turkey to stay and provide decent work for Syrians and Turks alike. There is a real opportunity for international business to contribute to bring greater prosperity and security to long-suffering refugees, and the Turkish communities who have welcomed them. We know this principled approach is possible: Next and C&A are putting measures in place to protect Syrian refugee workers and ensure they are treated fairly. We now need to see a commitment from all the high street clothing brands to safeguard the future of the Turkish industry and provides workers, Turks and Syrians alike, with a fair share of the wealth that the global garment industry creates.