04-07-2024
G.F.
Middle East and Human Rights Researcher
Global Human Rights Defence
On the night of June 30th, 2024, protests erupted in Türkiye after a Syrian man was arrested for—allegedly—sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl in a market. Tumults started in Kayseri, a city in the centre of the country, and then spread to other areas, such as the southern provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Konya, Bursa, and an Istanbul district (Al-Khalidi, Butler, 2024). Turkish citizens flipped over cars, set shops and grocery stores alight, damaged houses, and demanded the expulsion of Syrians from the country (Al Jazeera, 2024).
In retaliation for such actions, residents of north-west Syria engaged in hostilities with the Turkish troops at the border, throwing stones at convoys and tearing down Turkish flags from offices. The heaviest clashes, in which at least four people were killed, took place in the border city of Afrin (Al-Khalidi, Butler, 2024). The area, already a hotspot for infighting and clashes, was never brought back under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Now known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), the territory is under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces but is also heavily influenced by Türkiye’s presence and annexed military operations (Arab News, 2024). Indeed, because of the recent events, Türkiye closed a vital trade and passage point, the Bab al Hawa border crossing, until further notice, along with other smaller ones (Al-Khalidi, Butler, 2024).
Concerning the attacks that took place in Türkiye, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday that “474 people were detained after the provocative actions” (Al Jazeera, 2024). President Tayyip Erdogan also condemned the violence (Al Jazeera, 2024), accusing the opposition parties of endorsing such antagonistic sentiments vis à vis Syrians for years. Following the border clashes, the President also blamed terrorist groups and organisations for pursuing a ‘chaos plan’ in their interests (Al-Khalidi, Butler, 2024).
For context, Türkiye has been the most significant refugee-hosting country in the past decade, counting 3.47 million refugees by the end of 2023; of these, 3,314,780 are Syrian nationals under temporary protection (TP), and 258,416 are international protection (IP) applicants and status holders (including those from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Ukraine, and a wide range of other countries of origin) (UNHCR, 2024).
Regrettably, the earthquakes of February 2023, which caused victims in the thousands and great damage to the population, predominantly struck provinces in the southwest, mainly inhabited by Syrians (1.75 million at least) (UNHCR, 2024). This catastrophe, combined with post-COVID inflation, the depreciation of the Turkish lira, and an overall economic crisis (Il Post, 2024), further exacerbated the tensions between Turkish citizens—especially of lower-income classes—and refugees in big cities and Syrian-majority districts (Donelli, 2023). With the 2023 presidential elections, refugees became even more central to political debates and propaganda.
Overall, President Erdogan’s supporters had agreed with the inclusive approach enacted by the government, while the opposition continued to criticise and view Erdogan’s AKP’s stances with distrust, mainly for political and security-related concerns (Donelli, 2023). Due to the recent crisis, the AKP elite has changed stances on refugees little by little, promoting repatriation policies and increasing military involvement at the border—theoretically to facilitate the resettlements of refugee communities there (Donelli, 2023).
In reality, Human Rights Watch has reported suspicious deportations, listed as ‘returnees’ or ‘voluntary,’ amounting to over 57 thousand Syrians in 2023 alone (Hodali, 2024). If further implemented, such practices could endanger Syrians who sought refuge from the Assad regime by coming to Türkiye. Additionally, if not resolved, tensions and anti-Syrian sentiments at the societal level will continue to endanger refugees, resulting in more violence and clashes.
Sources and Further Readings:
Al Jazeera. (2024, July 2). Protests and arrests as anti-Syrian riots rock Turkey. Accessed 5 July 2024. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/2/protests-and-arrests-as-anti-syrian-riots-rock-turkey
Al-Khalidi, S. Butler, D. (2024, July 3). Turkey closes Syria border after violence flares in both countries. Reuters. Accessed 5 July 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-closes-syria-border-after-violence-flares-both-countries-2024-07-02/
Arab News. (2024, June 6). Syria’s Kurds delay controversial local elections. Accessed 5 July 2024. https://www.arabnews.com/node/2524986/middle-east
Donelli, F. (2023, May 12). The Refugee Issue and the Turkish Elections: What’s at Stake?. ISPI. Accessed 5 July 2024. https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/the-refugee-issue-and-the-turkish-elections-whats-at-stake-128676
Hodali D. (2024, June 29). Syrians in Turkey face deportation into an unknown future. Accessed 5 July 2024. https://www.dw.com/en/syrians-in-turkey-face-deportation-into-an-unknown-future/a-69491855
Il Post. (2024, July 3). La vita dei profughi siriani in Turchia è sempre più difficile. Accessed 5 July 2024. https://www.ilpost.it/2024/07/03/profughi-siriani-turchia-attacchi/
UNHCR. (2024). Global Focus UNHCR Operations Worldwide; Türkiye; Strategy 2024, Situation Analysis. Accessed 5 July 2024. https://reporting.unhcr.org/operational/operations/t%C3%BCrkiye#:~:text=by%20year%2Dend%202023%2C%20there,of%20other%20countries%20of%20origin
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