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Analysis
Syrian refugee children living outside of camps in Sanliurfa (Urfa), Turkey, recieve aid from the Turkish Red Crescent (Turk Kizilay). File photo: AA
An attack on a Syrian neighborhood in Istanbul last week shed light on the divisions in Turkish society over the continued presence of millions of refugees from their southern neighbor that is nearing a decade of conflict.
A Syrian boy told a Turkish girl on June 29 to "come, come" from a window. Upon hearing the news, a group of angry Turkish youngsters rushed to the police station.
Istanbul Police Directorate said in a statement on Sunday that both children were 12 years old. Police said there was was no assault or abuse in the case, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.
Police reaction
Police arrested 18 of the demonstrators in the neighborhood, also according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.
"Last night at 20:36 our ALO 155 hotline was informed of an alleged verbal sexual harassment against a child, A.D, in Mehmet Aktid neighborhood in Kucukcekmece district,” read a statement from Istanbul mayor's office on Sunday.
Calls for tolerance, returns
The Turkish-language hashtag #suriyelileryalnızdeğildir (Syrians are not alone) trended on Twitter following the incident.
"Now I understood what [is] happening. Some of [the] Turkish [people] and Syrians who stand with [the] killer ‘Bashar Al-Assad’ want from refugees go back to Syria by making problems [be]cause they want them just die. But I think most of Turkey’s are good and they will stop them soon," tweeted Mohammed Almanadi.
A Syrian boy told a Turkish girl on June 29 to "come, come" from a window. Upon hearing the news, a group of angry Turkish youngsters rushed to the police station.
Istanbul Police Directorate said in a statement on Sunday that both children were 12 years old. Police said there was was no assault or abuse in the case, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.
However, videos posted to social media showed people attacking stores with Arabic signs in Istanbul in response.
Police reaction
Police arrested 18 of the demonstrators in the neighborhood, also according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.
"Last night at 20:36 our ALO 155 hotline was informed of an alleged verbal sexual harassment against a child, A.D, in Mehmet Aktid neighborhood in Kucukcekmece district,” read a statement from Istanbul mayor's office on Sunday.
It added that both children were taken to a police station and the families concluded they there was a "misunderstanding … The issue was due to misunderstanding and no one lodged lawsuits against one another."
Calls for tolerance, returns
The Turkish-language hashtag #suriyelileryalnızdeğildir (Syrians are not alone) trended on Twitter following the incident.
"Now I understood what [is] happening. Some of [the] Turkish [people] and Syrians who stand with [the] killer ‘Bashar Al-Assad’ want from refugees go back to Syria by making problems [be]cause they want them just die. But I think most of Turkey’s are good and they will stop them soon," tweeted Mohammed Almanadi.
One Twitter user made a religious appeal to Turks to help the Syrians in the country.
"Unfortunately, many Turks have forgotten religious guidelines which preach us to behave like ensar [fighters] in Medine. I feel shame every time when I see a disrespectful deed against Syrians. Sorry muhajirs [refugees] very sincerely! Ya Allah, open our eyes and minds! #suriyelileryalnızdeğildir," KerimNiyaz01 tweeted.
Others argued it was time for Syrians to leave Turkey.
"If they Syrian[s] support the regime they can live in none-war zone of Syria (south) or they will fight with regime but they can't support regime they must fight with [the] Free Syrian Army. This is not our problem and we've helped enough #suriyelileryalnızdeğildir," tweeted SaraTades.
Continued irregular migration, few returns
In the first six months of 2019, some 79,886 Syrians used the Cilvegozu Border Crossing in southern Hatay province to return to Syria, according to an AA report.
Speaking at Immigration Evaluation Meeting at Directorate General of Migration Management in Ankara, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu detailed the size of the issue earlier this month.
“Today there are 3.6 million Syrian refugees under temporary protection [program] and 4.9 million foreigners. There 546,296 registered Syrians in Istanbul. These are surely big numbers but Turkish state is capable of managing them … However the main issue is the prevention of illegal migration," he said.
Soylu acknowledged Turkish nationals’ complaints about migration; however, the interior minister insisted the “primary goal” is to prioritize illegal migration in metropolises — most often in Istanbul.
“I mean, no one will be allowed to walk [into Istanbul] unregistered. Illegal migrants will not be allowed to work,” he commented.
In the first six months of 2019, 25,000 illegal refugees arrived in Istanbul and 12,704 have been deported: “It is our basic responsibility to return those coming to our country,” the minister vowed.
Only some will be allowed in Istanbul. “Syrians will not be registered for Istanbul excluding exceptions,” the minister said without elaborating about the exceptions. “Istanbul is closed in the face Syrian registration.”
He also pointed out that a many people transit through Turkey from the Middle East and Africa to before heading to Europe.
Nearly a decade of conflicts in Syria
The Syrian conflict broke out in 2011 following a string of protests and subsequent crackdowns on dissidents by the Baath Party and President Bashar al-Assad. The situation quickly spiraled out of control into a full-fledged civil war.
The Syrian Civil War has pitted regional and international actors on different sides backing proxy groups. The situation was exasperated with the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) group in late 2013. It was defeated east of the Euphrates on the battlefield in March.
Still, conflict continues in western Syria where forces backed by Russia and Iran have cornered Turkish-backed rebels in Aleppo and Homs governorates. Numerous attempts for ceasefires have failed through United Nations and Astana processes.
More than half of all Syrians have been displaced from their homes at one time or another during the eight-plus year conflict. There are currently more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, according to UN statistics.
Syrian refugee families face numerous challenges, including poverty, which worsened last year with Turkey's economic woes. Children, in particular, are vulnerable to discrimination and a lack of educational opportunities, according to the UN.
Despite the conflict there have been reasons for hope between the people of Turkey and Syria. Mohammed Khalil and his family live on the Syria-Turkey border, having fled the civil war four years ago. He drew headlines across Turkish media for scoring the highest grades in a national exam last week.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains optimistic that Syrians will return to their homes — eventually.
"330,000 Syrians have returned so far. After the resolution of Manbij and East of Euphrates issues, this figure will reach millions," he told a Justice and Development Party's (AKP) parliamentary days before the incident.
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