The unclear prospect of Syrian refugees leaving Türkiye.
These days in Turkey, once again the discussion about the number of Syrian refugees in the country has risen. Some far-right politicians accuse the Erdoğan government of concealing the statistics of Syrian refugees and believe that one of the main reasons for the widespread economic crisis in Turkey is the inflation caused by the residence of several million Syrians.
The presence of several million Syrian refugees in Turkey and other countries is one of the most important humanitarian and security challenges that the Syrian government and people are dealing with. According to the United Nations, nearly 4 million Syrian refugees are currently living in Turkey, 865 thousand Syrian refugees are in Lebanon, 662 thousand are in Jordan, and 242 thousand Syrian refugees have settled in Iraq. But the number of Syrian refugees in Europe is less. There are 605,000 Syrian refugees in Germany, 114,000 Syrian refugees in Sweden, 54,000 in Austria and 36,000 in Greece. But in the meantime, Turkey’s situation as the host of several million refugees is different. Because this country, from the beginning of the Syrian crisis, entered with an interventionist approach and by supporting several armed groups; It paved the way for the weakening of the Damascus government and started an open door policy for refugees. By referring to the statistics of Syrian refugees in Turkey, this report tries to reveal the political attitude of the Ankara authorities to this issue and show why the roadmap for the return of the refugees should become a part of the strategy of normalizing relations between Damascus and Ankara.
In examining the importance of the political and security aspects of the presence of Syrian refugees in Turkey, one should also pay attention to how this issue, despite the huge costs, has become a playing card for Ankara’s politicians.
A challenge of secret and registered refugees.
Every year, the Ministry of Interior of Turkey announces the statistics related to the population of Syrian refugees, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of this country also shares plans and goals for the return of refugees with the media. But the available information shows that the number of refugees who have returned from Turkey to Syria is small.
In the last two years, most of the media opposing the ruling party of Turkey have repeatedly highlighted the economic consequences of the presence of Syrian refugees in Turkey and practically turned it into a political issue. But on the other hand, the political officials of Erdogan’s government have announced that in some ways, the presence of refugees has benefited the Turkish economy. Perhaps the most controversial comment in this case was the words of former Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who recently announced: “My father is a cattle breeder and he needs several shepherds to raise his flock of sheep. Why should refugees and asylum seekers not be used in such jobs?” Some political observers stated that Çavuşoğlu’s words confirm the fact that many business owners and industries have taken advantage of the economic and human condition of Syrian refugees and employ them at low wages and without insurance.
Critics say; The statistics of some of the Syrian refugees residing in Turkey are not recorded and this issue, in addition to creating potential security threats, makes it difficult for local administrators to manage their accommodation and services.
