The Syrian civil war, which broke out in March 2011, has grown into an international crisis. It is also creating deep concerns in Europe where there is an unavoidable influx of refugees. Many countries, particularly Germany, are striving to overcome the refugee housing problem that is rapidly growing, putting officials in a deadlock. Other countries look to Turkey, which has vast experience with the issue, for a remedy. A number of countries are asking Turkish companies to build prefabricated structures to be used as temporary settlements to protect Syrian refugees from the harsh winter conditions.With the frigid arrival of winter, refugees are still fleeing their war-torn homelands and traversing fire and water to reach Europe, passing through Turkey and Greece. Currently, there are more than 2 million Syrian refugees in Turkey alone. An even greater number have managed to reach European countries under harsh conditions and albeit illegal ways, placing tremendous burdens on the countries where they seek refuge. There are reportedly more than 400,000 Syrian refugees in Germany, and the municipalities accepting refugee transfers are unable to meet the housing demand in their residential areas. Along with Germany, all the other countries that have a high influx of refugees prefer to establish temporary housing centers that consist of container and prefabricated structures. However, the high construction cost of one of these types of structures impels European municipalities to resort to Turkey with the help of various stockbroker firms.The Istanbul-based Villa Prefabrik, which produces container homes and up-to-three-story prefabricated homes, is trying to fulfill orders made by Germany. Villa Prefabrik Marketing Assistant Manager Serhat Çetin said there are also other Turkish companies that are receiving orders from European countries for container and prefabricated homes to shelter Syrian refugees. According to Çetin, a German delegation recently visited the company and asked that certain safety standards be applied during the production process. "We only need to make slight changes to our products since we have already produced goods in compliance with European standards," Çetin said, adding that the company has started producing pre-ordered container homes after sending test homes to Germany. Other European countries, namely Switzerland and the Netherlands, have also submitted orders to Turkish companies. The anticipated increase in demand for this type of housing is due to low production cost. One standard container or prefabricated home costs as much as 7,500 euros to be made in Europe, where labor costs are generally higher, whereas a home of the same quality - including a toilet and bathroom - only costs TL 3,800 ($1,302) if produced in Turkey, including freight charges. In addition to these unique types of homes, European countries are also ordering similar structures that will be used as sleeping quarters and shower cabins for refugees. The number of orders is expected to increase as winter conditions in Europe become more severe and the influx of refugees continues unabated.Turkey was first acquainted with container and prefabricated homes after the Marmara Earthquake in 1999, when a large number of earthquake victims spent the winter in tents, containers and even prefabricated homes, which saved the lives of many earthquake victims.. Since then, the number of companies that produce this type of housing has increased, with some of them constructing prefabricated villas up to three-stories tall.