Iranians have long sought work and relative stability in Turkey. The war could force some to return

ISTANBUL (AP) — Sadri Haghshenas spends her days selling borek — a layered, savory pastry — at a shop in Istanbul, but her mind is on her daughter in Tehran.

The family had to send her home to Iran after they ran into difficulties renewing her visa, despite fears that a shaky ceasefire could soon collapse.

For years, short-term residency permits have allowed tens of thousands of Iranians to pursue economic opportunities and enjoy relative stability in neighboring Turkey. But it's a precarious situation, and the war has raised the stakes.

“I swear, I cry every day,” Haghshenas said, raising her hands from behind the counter of the pastry shop. “There is no life in my country, there is no life here, what shall I do?”

Haghshenas and her husband moved to Turkey five years ago with their then-teenage daughters and have been living on tourist visas renewable every six months to two years.

They could not afford a lawyer this year, because her husband is out of work due to health problems. As a result, they missed the deadline to apply for a new visa for their 20-year-old daughter, Asal, who is still in her final year of high school.

Asal was detained at a checkpoint earlier this month and spent a night at an immigration facility. Her mother found a friend to take her back to Tehran rather than face deportation proceedings that could complicate her ability to return to Turkey. They hope she can come back on a student visa.

Haghshenas has been unable to talk to her daughter since she left because of a monthslong internet blackout in Iran.

Turkey has not seen an influx of refugees, as most Iranians have sought safety within their country. Many who have crossed the land border were transiting to other countries where they have citizenship or residency.

Nearly 100,000 Iranians lived in Turkey in 2025, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute. Around 89,000 have entered Turkey since the start of the war, while around 72,000 have departed, according to the United Nations' refugee agency.

Some Iranians have used short-term visa-free stays to wait out the war, but there are few options for those who want to stay longer.

Sedat Albayrak, of the Istanbul Bar Association’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Center, said that getting international protection status can be difficult, and the system encourages Iranians to apply for short-term permits instead.

“There are people who have lived on them for over 10 years," he said.

Nadr Rahim came to Turkey for his children’s education 11 years ago. Now, the war may force him to go home.

Because of the difficulty of getting a permit to start a business or work legally in Turkey, he lived off the profits of his motorcycle salesroom in Iran. But there have been no sales since the war started, and international sanctions — and the internet outage — make it extremely difficult to transfer funds.

His family only has enough money to stay in Turkey a few more months. His children grew up in Turkey and don't read Farsi or speak it fluently. He worries about how they would adapt to living in Iran, but said “if the war continues, we will have no choice but to return.”

In the meantime, he spends most of his days scrolling on his phone, waiting for news from his parents in Tehran or discussing the war over waterpipes with Iranian friends.

A 42-year-old Iranian woman came to Turkey eight months ago, hoping to make money to support her family. She and her daughter registered as university students to get study visas. She attends classes in the morning to keep her legal status before rushing to service jobs, sometimes working until 3 a.m.

They share a room with six other people at a women's boarding house, she said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for her security should she return to Iran.

“I truly love Iran. If necessary, I would even go and defend it in war,” she says. But she sees no future there, while in Turkey, she’s barely scraping by and only able to send small amounts of money to her parents.

“I have a bad life in Turkey, and my parents have a bad life in Iran,” she said. “I came to Turkey with so much hope, to support my parents and build a future. But now I feel hopeless.”

A 33-year-old freelance architect from Tehran traveled to Turkey during Iran's violent crackdown on mass protests in January. She had planned to return after the situation calmed down, but then the United States and Israel went to war with Iran at the end of February.

“I started to believe that it’s a very bad situation, worse than I expected,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of persecution if she returns to Iran.

She has been unable to work for her usual clients back in Iran because of the internet blackout. With the end of her 90-day visa-free window approaching, she can't afford to apply for a longer stay in Turkey.

Instead, she has decided to go to Malaysia, where she will get free accommodation in return for building shelters during a month of visa-free stay.

She has no plan for what comes next.

A man walks past an Iranian grocery shop in Istanbul on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Nadr Rahim, right, sits with a friend at an Iranian coffee shop in Istanbul on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Sadri Haghshenas, a 47-year-old Iranian woman who works at a borek shop, walks in Istanbul on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Turkish and Iranian flags are seen in an Iranian currency exchange business in the Aksaray district of Istanbul on Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A baker hangs bread in an Iranian bakery in Istanbul on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 22, 2026--

At Retail Technology Show (RTS) 2026, SOLUM (KRX: 248070) is introducing Newton Core+ to the UK market as a next-generation ESL platform and a central pillar of its broader “Retail in Sync” showcase. Across the event, SOLUM is demonstrating how connected retail technologies, solutions, and ecosystem collaboration can work together to improve customer experience, optimise operations, unlock data monetization, and support more sustainable store environments.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260422740364/en/

Newton Core+ Launch at the Centre of Product Innovation

Newton Core+ is designed to meet the increasing demands placed on shelf-edge infrastructure in modern retail environments, combining refined design, reinforced durability, and enhanced display clarity to support accurate pricing, reliable promotion execution, and fulfillment-led store operations across large store estates. Newton Core+ has also received the Red Dot Award for Product Design, reinforcing its value not only in design quality but also across function, usability, durability, and responsibility.

Alongside Newton Core+, SOLUM is also showcasing Newton E-Paper 32”, another Red Dot Award-winning product, as well as additional large-format e-paper displays, 4-color Newton Pro Freezer solutions, Power Rail ESL, and a wider digital signage lineup, including bar-type signage and semi-outdoor displays.

Retail in Sync in Action Across the Store

Beyond product innovation, SOLUM is using RTS 2026 to demonstrate what “Retail in Sync” means in practice. It shows how retail technologies can work together to improve execution across the store. In customer experience, SOLUM is showing how personalised product guidance can be integrated with ESL and digital signage to create more connected in-store journeys. In operations, the company is highlighting omnichannel picking and stock management solutions designed to improve task efficiency, reduce walking time, and help store teams act on real-time shelf conditions. In sustainability, SOLUM is presenting solutions aimed at reducing operational waste, including food waste reduction linked to expiry-led pricing and real-time shelf updates. In data monetisation, SOLUM is showcasing Vision AI-based capabilities that help retailers better understand shopper attention, product interaction, and measurable in-store performance.

SOLUM’s RTS showcase also reflects its open ecosystem approach, bringing together partners across fulfilment, smart data capture, food waste reduction, and retail operations to support a more connected model of store execution.

Mark Duckworth, Country Manager UK & Ireland at SOLUM, said, “RTS 2026 is an important opportunity to show how SOLUM is bringing stronger products and more connected solutions to UK retailers. With Newton Core+ at the centre, we are expanding what ESL can deliver at shelf edge while helping retailers improve execution, efficiency and in-store performance through a broader portfolio of integrated technologies.”

SOLUM will exhibit at Retail Technology Show 2026, taking place on 22–23 April at Excel, London. Visitors can meet the SOLUM team at Stand M60.

About SOLUM

Founded in 2015 as a spin-off from Samsung Electro-Mechanics, SOLUM is a publicly traded company listed on the KOSPI stock exchange. The company has established itself as a leader in power solutions, display technologies, and electronic shelf labels (ESL), driving innovation across the global retail sector. With a strong commitment to customer-centric innovation and sustainable retail transformation, SOLUM continues to develop high-quality solutions that empower retailers to operate more efficiently in an increasing digital world.

Learn more at www.solum-group.com

SOLUM showcases Newton Core+ at Stand M60 during the Retail Technology Show 2026 in London (Image: SOLUM)