Apology and national identity play a role in forgiveness toward Syrian refugees in Turkey

This study investigates how apology and social identity jointly shape forgiveness in intergroup contexts involving refugees. Drawing on Social Identity Theory, the research focused on Turkish university students’ reactions to a minor act of incivility committed by either an in-group (Turkish) or out-group (Syrian) individual, with or without an apology. A total of 144 participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions in a 2 (apology: yes vs. no) × 2 (source of behavior: Turkish vs. Syrian) design. After reading the scenario, participants reported their willingness to forgive, along with measures of in-group identification. The results showed that in-group offenders were forgiven more readily than out-group offenders, and that apologies significantly increased forgiveness. The interaction of apology and group membership indicated that offenses committed by Turkish offenders who apologized elicited the highest forgiveness levels. In addition, stronger in-group identification predicted lower forgiveness across conditions, suggesting a direct negative effect rather than the hypothesized moderation. These findings highlight the central roles of interpersonal cues and social identity in shaping forgiveness in migration contexts. The study contributes to understanding the psychological mechanisms that underlie host–refugee relations and offers insights for interventions aiming to promote intergroup harmony and social cohesion.