‘People Collect Signatures, Saying “Don’t Send Back My Syrian Neighbors”’

* Photos: Anadolu Agency

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The Governorship of İstanbul announced on August 1 that the Syrians not registered in İstanbul had to leave the city and go to the provinces where they were registered until August 20. 

Speaking at a TV program on August 21, Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu stated that the time given to Syrians was extended to October 30.

Since then, the great majority of the Syrians not registered in İstanbul have returned to the provinces where they are registered. As for the time given by Minister Soylu, it is over as of yesterday (October 30).

We have talked to Syria Associations' Platform Chair Mehdi Davud about the issue and asked him whether a new incident of return has occurred and, if yes, what will happen next.

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Davud has indicated that Syrians living in İstanbul without registration have left the city. He is of the opinion that Syrians will not be removed from İstanbul as it was the case in August. Davud has told bianet the following in brief:

"The vast majority of the Syrians not fitting into the categories specified by the Governorship of İstanbul and the state have returned to the provinces where they are registered as they saw the determination of the state about the issue.

"There are Syrians whose children go to school in İstanbul, there are also the ones who are registered in İstanbul. We have not heard anything about removals yet. We do not think that there will be any problems. But, if people are forced to return, they will cross the border and come back."

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'On what will people rely that they will go to safe zone?'

Davud has also commented on the safe zone planned to be formed in northern Syria as part of Turkey's Operation Peace Spring. Davud has said,

"Refugees cannot be settled in the safe zone without creating the infrastructure, providing accommodation or offering employment opportunities. Because the area is nothing but an empty desert. On what people will rely that they will go there? I think that the State of Turkey is aware of it. As I have said: Otherwise, people will run away and come back.

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"Most Syrians who have come to İstanbul are here to work, they do not live in luxury. If they are provided with the necessary living conditions, they will leave the city by themselves.

"When Russia and Turkey became guarantors in Idlib and bombardment stopped for 6 months, 70,000 people went by themselves. In other words, what is at issue here is whether people feel safe or not and whether they are convinced that they have the necessary living conditions."

'Everyone knows the reality of Syria'

Lastly, Davud has raised concerns that Syrians are instrumentalized in politics. Davud has made the following remarks about the issue:

"In fact, everyone knows the reality of Syria, everyone knows why Syrians are here. Those who do not want Syrians to stay know the reality of Syria very well, but they use Syrians to put political pressure on each other. While the issue of Syrians should remain humanitarian, they played politics with it. Syrians were shown as the reason for losing the March 31 elections.

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'There is the real Syrian and the one created by media'

"It is the media and politics that jointly do the greatest service in targeting Syrians. If the people of Turkey are left to decide themselves, they will definitely act more humanely and conscientiously. But, the media and politics fill people with all kinds of false information. On the one side, there is the real Syrian; on the other side, there is the one created by the media.

"The media represents the Syrians as if they were going to university, hospital and school free of charge, as if they were living without paying anything. Turkish society thinks that the Syrians that they personally know are good people, but they hate the Syrians that they do not know. The reason for that is the media and politics.

"When people were sent back, there were people who came to us, collecting signatures in their neighborhood to say 'Don't send back my neighbors'. In other words, the media and politics sow the seeds of unrest, but the people still act humanely. Today will become history one day and the media is wasting this people with its current attitude." (RT/SD)