Turkish opposition candidates pledged during their election campaigns to return Syrian refugees to their country (European)

Istanbul -

The Syrian refugee issue has returned to the spotlight in Turkey again with the approaching date of the local elections scheduled for the end of this March, at a time when the Turkish opposition still finds this file as material for electoral propaganda and political tension with the government, which exposes the country to risks related to security and peace. Community, according to commentators.

The analysis presented by opposition-oriented journalist Yilmaz Özdil about the upcoming local elections sparked widespread controversy on social media platforms, as Özdil believes that the upcoming elections are not only limited to choosing mayors, but also represent a decisive referendum on whether refugees remain or leave.

For his part, the current mayor of Bolu, Tango Ozcan, a candidate for the Republican People's Party and known for his hard-line stance towards refugees, opened his election campaign with an explicit promise, declaring his commitment to completely eliminating the presence of refugees in the city, noting a noticeable decline in their numbers.

🎥 The CHP candidate for the municipality of the Mamak district in Ankara, Vali Gunduz Şahin, directs racist statements to Iraqi children while those around him welcome him. pic.twitter.com/kxqEcyF5AD

— TR99 (@TR99media) February 23, 2024

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu also expressed - during a television interview last month - his concern about refugee policy, as he believes that the procedures followed regarding refugees and asylum seekers in the last decade may turn into the most prominent dilemmas that Turkey will face during the next three or four decades.

In an incident that raised Turkish public opinion, the candidate of the Republican People's Party for the municipality of the Mamak district in Ankara appeared directing racist statements to Iraqi children, threatening to deport them, while the head of the youth wing of the Justice and Development Party in Ankara then appeared playing ball with the same children and offering them milk.

Tango Ozcan, mayor of Bolu (centre), launched his election campaign by pledging to eliminate the presence of refugees (social networking sites)

Racist speeches

For his part, Turkish journalist close to the Turkish government, Bilgen Ozturk, confirmed that the discourses that rely on racist tendencies, which are being promoted by some opposition factions regarding refugees residing in Turkey, are only part of the electoral campaigns, citing the 2023 presidential elections, and noting that these discourses did not It has little effect in directing voters’ preferences, except for that segment that considers the presence of refugees a direct threat to the country’s future.

Ozturk stressed - in an interview with Al Jazeera Net - that the opportunity for the opposition to implement its promises to deport refugees if it succeeds in controlling the municipalities in the upcoming local elections is very slim, attributing this to the international and human rights obligations approved by Turkey, which hinder the adoption of policies that conflict with the current methodology.

Ozturk warned of the possibility of negative campaigns against Syrians and other Arab refugees in Turkey escalating if the opposition is unable to win in major cities, as they may be used as a means to direct voter frustration and anger towards refugees.

Pressure paper

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, political analyst and researcher at the Turkish Research Center, Murat Toral, confirmed that the refugee file has turned into a political pressure card in the hands of the Turkish opposition, after it was able to exploit the crisis.

He considered that the opposition "copied the government's approach to exploiting the crisis within its international negotiations, which reflects its learning of the art of manipulating crisis files."

He also pointed out that the economic deterioration that Turkey is witnessing has contributed to the escalation of waves of discontent among the popular circles, with the finger of blame being pointed at refugees as the cause of the existing crises, stressing that such issues may disappear with the fulfillment of government promises to improve the country's economic conditions.

In the same context, the former head of the youth section of the Republican People's Party, Gokcen Aulu Koc, considered that his party's measures regarding the refugee issue "go beyond the limits of electoral campaigns to shed light on a deep-seated crisis that has been ongoing for years without finding radical solutions."

Ulu Koc pointed out - in statements to Al Jazeera Net - that the problem is not limited to Syrian refugees only, noting that "the unregulated presence of refugees in Turkey negatively affects the social, psychological and economic structure of Turkish citizens, which requires urgent plans to deport the refugees."

He categorically denied that his party used the refugee issue as a propaganda tool for itself, pointing out that the issue actually exists and is among the main demands that voters want to address. He called on the Turkish government to stop exploiting the refugee situation to achieve gains, whether in the electoral context or in other areas, stressing that "mid-term measures and temporary solutions are no longer sufficient to confront the repercussions of this crisis, which has worsened over time."

The Turkish Minister of the Interior announced the establishment of “mobile immigration centers” in 30 Turkish cities (Anatolia)

Mobile centers

As for the Turkish government, it announced its adherence to its approach to dealing with the refugee crisis, considering that they are residing in the country temporarily, and that they will return as soon as security returns to their country.

Murat Kurum, the People's Alliance candidate for mayor of Istanbul, stressed the need to deal with the situation of immigrants in Istanbul. He pointed out that these individuals are refugees who fled to Turkey to escape conflicts in their countries and reside there temporarily.

He also stressed that they will return to their homes as soon as the situation there stabilizes, appreciating at the same time their positive role in the Turkish economy, especially in the city of Istanbul.

In this context, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the launch of inspection and monitoring operations with the aim of reducing illegal immigration and deporting individuals who reside in Turkey illegally, explaining that “mobile immigration centers” have been established in 30 Turkish cities, which include 162 inspection centers working to Verifying the legality of foreigners’ residence in the country through the use of fingerprint recognition devices.

For his part, Ezzatullah Sadat, head of the Federation of Afghan Associations, who holds Turkish citizenship, announced his candidacy for mayor of Beylikdüzü in Istanbul, with his commitment to solving the problems of immigrants in Turkey, starting with the Afghan community to which he belongs.

Sadat promised to provide the necessary support to immigrants, including providing legal and social assistance, and providing economic opportunities that will help them better integrate into Turkish society.

Source: Al Jazeera