Petition by No to Racism Platform: ‘Give Refugee Status to All Immigrants in Turkey’

Click to read the article in Turkish

We are All Migrants - No to Racism platform has launched a petition for immigrants in Turkey amid novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Expressing their demands to continue living with refugees, who have been severely affected by the pandemic, the platform has said, "Give all immigrants in Turkey the right to be refugees!"

According to the figures shared by the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), around 4 thousand migrant physicians, approximately 3 thousand of whom from Syria, have been struggling against coronavirus in Turkey.

Reminding the public that two migrant physicians have so far lost their lives in the pandemic, the platform has underlined that struggles against all types of problems in the country are waged together with immigrants.

'Everyone is affected by the outbreak together'

The petition has noted that workers from Turkey and immigrants have been affected by the economic consequences of the outbreak the most.

Referring to the closure of workplaces as part of coronavirus measures, the platform has reiterated that immigrants, just like all other laborers in the country, have lost their jobs in these days and at least half of all informally employed immigrants, like Ali Hemdan, who was killed by the bullet of a police officer in Adana province, are now unemployed.

Accordingly, the platform has raised concerns that immigrants in Turkey have not been given a status for years and their lives, which they were waging deprived of fundamental rights, have become harder amid corona crisis.

Lift restrictions on medical treatment

Noting that as the immigrants are not granted refugee status, they cannot benefit from public aid or receive healthcare services, the platform has requested that all immigrants be given temporary citizenship right during the pandemic and the restrictions on their treatment be lifted.

It should be ensured that immigrants can benefit from public aid and they should be able to live without the fear of deportation, at least in the course of the pandemic, the petition of the platform has further maintained.

In this context, We are All Migrants - No to Racism platform has requested that all immigrants in Turkey be granted the right to be a refugee, which will give them the opportunity to work formally and benefit from protection.

• Click here to sign the petition (in Turkish)
• Website: https://gocmeniz.org/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gocmeniz/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HepimizGocmeniz 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hepimizgocmeniz/ 

Signatories

Justice Platform, The Leather, Textile, Shoe Workers' Association, Intercommunal Bridge of Solidarity Association, We are All Migrants - No to Racism Platform, İzmir Musicians' Association, Refugee Media Association,

A.Gürcan Şişmanoğlu, Abdülsamed Baskak, Adalet Cavdar, Alemşah Gün, Alev Fırat, Arif Çinpolat, Arzu Şenel Atmaca, Atilla Aytemur, Atilla Dirim, Atilla Karagöz, Ayhan Önal, Aynur Karaş, Ayse Cavdar, Ayşe Demirbilek, Ayşın Altun, Bahan Gönce, Bekir Ergün, Berrin Sevimli, Beyhan Sunal, Burhan Kavuncu, C. Murat Özgünay, Cahit Mete, Can Irmak Özinanır, Cengiz Gülsen, Ceren Karabulut, Cihan Gül Karabulut, Çağla Oflas, Çiğdem Taşkın, Denisa Shyle, Deniz Güngören, Deniz Koloğlu, Dila Ak, Dilan Yılmaz, Doğan Gülşen, Doğan Özkan, Doğan Taşkıran, Emin Şakir, Enes Gezer, Ersin Damarsardı, Ersin Konuş, Esra Akbalık, Evrim Kepenek, Faruk Sevim, Fatih Sürenkök, Fatma Akdokur, Fatma Örgel, Ferda Keskin, Ferhat Kentel, Fırat Kesim, Figen Dayıcık, Fulya Oral, Gül Dönmez, Gülayşe Koçak, Gülden Kalafat, Gülsüm Ekinci, Güniz Bursalıoğlu, H. Hayri Alkan, Hacer Yeşilçay, Hasan Fehmi Özer, Hasan Uyar, Hatice Aktay, Helin Alp, Helin Star Alp, Hidayet Şefkatli Tuksal , Hüseyin Aslan, İslam Özkan, İsmail Çapar, İsmail Karaavci, Jale Mildanoğlu, Kemal Başak, Kerem Kabadayı, Kerim Hançer, Macit Çopur, Mahmut Bellitürk, Mahmut Özdemir, Mehmet Ali Devecioğlu, Mehmet Ali Fırat, Mehmet Arif Koçer, Mehmet Karaçalı, Melike Işık, Melis Oflas, Meltem Oral, Mert Selek, Merve Diltemiz Mol, Metin Uğurtepe, Muammer Yüce, Muhammed Yasir Bodur, Murat Çepni, Murat Eraslan, Mustafa Ilıcak, Nazmiye Çimen, Necmettin Durmuş, Nuran Yüce, Nurcan Çalışkan, Nurcan Kaya, Nurettin Çivici , Nursen Güçkan, Osman Nurettin Şahin, Ozan Ekin Gökşin, Ozan Tekin, Ömer sabancı, Özden Dönmez, Özdeş Özbay, Özgür Kalafat, Perihan Usta, Ramazan Çalışkan, Reha Ruhavioğlu, Roni Margulies, Seçkin Kır, Selahattin Nesipoglu, Sermin Evrendilek , Sibel Erduman, Sinan Kurban, Şafak Ayhan, Şenol Karakaş, Şevket Yıldırım, Şevki Evrendilek , Şivan Kırmıziçiçek, Taner Koçak, Tekin Bay, Tuna Emren, Tülin Tümer, Umut Mahir Özen, Ümit Aktaş, Vedia Yeşim Bayanoğlu, Volkan Akyıldırım, Yasemin Kipkurt, Yavuz Sabancı, Yasin Altıntaş, Yener Orkunoğlu, Yıldız Önen, Yıldız Ramazanoğlu, Yüksel Bursalıoğlu , Zekai Temiz, Zeycan Alkış, Zeynep Duygu Ağbayır.

(PT/SD)