ANKARA
- The wave of racism against Syrian refugees in Turkey continues to escalate, with indications and evidence confirming that a new phase has entered into investing the refugee issue, within the framework of political polarization between the ruling Justice and Development Party on the one hand, and the Turkish opposition parties.
The opposition political parties are using the refugee issue as a trump card in order to achieve political gains and win more votes in the upcoming Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections. The Syrians have turned these disputes into fuel for a political war between the competing parties.
Suleiman Soylu: One and a half million refugees have left Turkey in the last five years (Anatolia)
Decisions and statements
A series of decisions and exchanged statements took place in recent days on the issue of refugees. While the opposition accuses the government of being unable to solve the issue of refugees and even naturalize them and grant them privileges, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu stated that one and a half million refugees have left the country in the last 5 years and “we are preparing homes for Who is blessed to have enough for a million Syrian refugees?
A statement was also issued by the Immigration Department confirming the suspension of approvals for new asylum applications to Istanbul.
The head of the opposition Republican People's Party, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, promised his supporters that he would return the Syrians to their country within two years if he succeeded in the upcoming elections.
Other nationalist and Islamic parties have adopted Kiljdar's position on the necessity of returning refugees to their country.
Tango Ozcan, the mayor of Bolu, who belongs to the Republican People's Party, had suggested that the municipality impose fees 10 times higher on Syrians' water bills.
A previous decision was also issued by the Ministry of Interior not to allow the return of Syrians who went to Syria to spend the Eid holiday to Turkey.
After the increase in incidents of racism and attacks on foreigners, the Immigration Department began moving towards prosecuting and curtailing racists from politicians and public figures, led by the head of the Al-Zafar Party, Umit Ozdag, who has been making statements and steps that fuel hatred against Syrians.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of Syrians first before returning them, pointing to the continued return of illegal non-Syrian immigrants in Turkey to their countries, explaining that his country has returned hundreds of thousands of them.
For his part, Devlet Bahçeli, head of the National Movement and an ally of President Erdogan, said, "We must unite to solve the refugee problem in a radical way, and follow a smart strategy, without nurturing an incendiary environment," noting that "recent days have witnessed provocative attempts to incite the street through the arguments of Syrian refugees."
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu promised his supporters that he will return the Syrians within two years if he succeeds in the upcoming elections (Anatolia)
provocative movie
"The Silent Invasion" is a short film of no more than 8 minutes that has received great attention on social networking sites in Turkey in recent days, and it talks about the file of Syrian refugees in Turkey, drawing a bleak hypothetical picture of the future of the country, which has been hosting about 4 million refugees for more than 10 years.
The film shows the image of Istanbul in 2034, which has turned into a devastated city, in which the Turks are being pursued by the Syrians in the streets.
This is something that the Turkish police considered a clear incitement against the Syrian refugees and the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
For this, the police summoned the film's producer, Handa Karagasu, to interrogate her, before releasing her hours later.
The film, which was published on May 3, coincided with Erdogan's announcement of a plan being prepared by the government, to voluntarily return about one million Syrian refugees to the areas under Turkish security control in northern Syria, by establishing residential communities and equipping infrastructure in the areas that are under Turkish security control. It extends from the cities of Azaz, Jarabulus and Al-Bab to the areas of Tal Abyad and Ain Issa, through the establishment of about 250 thousand housing units in 13 areas in northern Syria.
Erdogan’s words came during a recorded speech delivered during a public ceremony attended by the Minister of the Interior, to hand over about 57 thousand housing units built of bricks, in Idlib governorate, which is subject to the Syrian opposition backed by Ankara, stressing that these projects will be funded by Turkish and international civil institutions.
Therefore, Gulf countries may help finance the process - according to observers - especially after the rapprochement that took place late last month, between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which culminated in Erdogan’s visit to Jeddah and his meeting with the King of Saudi Arabia and his crown prince, and before that Erdogan’s visit to the UAE in last February.
But time may not be enough for President Erdogan to accomplish this before the elections scheduled for the middle of next year, and the most important question is related to the conviction of hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have established for themselves and their families a stable life inside Turkey.
Turkey has hosted about 4 million refugees for more than 10 years (Reuters)
election paper
In this context, Yassin Aktay, an advisor to the head of the ruling Justice and Development Party, said that the opposition has been trying to raise the issue of Syrian immigrants for years with the aim of embarrassing the government, and it is using a very dangerous and inhumane method that may disrupt social peace.
Aktay told Al Jazeera Net, "This policy is a glaring example that the opposition in Turkey does not miss any opportunity that can be exploited in order to pressure Erdogan and put him in a corner."
"Those who easily talk about the forced deportation of refugees are in fact inciting and encouraging an entire people to commit a crime, not to mention that this crime is an attempt to assassinate our culture, our identity and our customs," he added.
Aktay explained that liveable cities are being established within the safe areas, and Syrians who wish to return will be encouraged to live in those areas.
He is reassured by saying, "There is no cause for concern. The Turkish people are vigilant enough to stand up to this incitement, and the measures taken by the authorities are sufficient to control the situation."
Aktay: The opposition has been raising the issue of refugees for years to embarrass the government (Turkish press)
The return of the Syrians
Fahmi Yalcin, a Turkish writer close to the Republican People's Party, stated that the government was until recently attacking the opposition that wants to send refugees, but it seems to have prepared for the fact that it is time for the refugees to return, as the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party gave messages in this direction, while Erdogan said that he Syrians will be sent home with "dignity."
Yalcin told Al Jazeera Net, "Our Syrian brothers fled war and death, but the civil war has ended in Syria, so what prevents them from returning to their land and homes, and the matter can be dealt with by agreement with the Syrian regime so that it does not affect them and does not distress them."
"The opposition parties do not hate the refugees or incite them, but the Syrians have no right to share Turkey with its indigenous people, especially since we are going through an economic crisis because of the wrong government policies," he added.
According to the data of the country's General Migration Department, there are 3,701 thousand and 584 Syrians who have been registered under "temporary protection" status in Turkey.
In a press conference held in Istanbul, 71 Syrian and Turkish human rights organizations demanded the protection of Syrian refugees residing in Turkey, and the cessation of the increasing hate speech and racism against them there, after many racist groups attacked their workplaces and homes and the increase in individual killings against them during the last period.