Page 128 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

The question of how the level of social acceptance shown by the Turkish society, which
is high, but partly “fragile,” can be made sustainable should be answered regardless of
what other countries do. Although the public institutions make extraordinary efforts,
the question of how it will be possible to minimize the loss of resources, time, and
effort created by coordination problems is yet another of the questions of Türkiye should
ask itself. Therefore, an integrative strategy is needed in the fields of education, work,
settlement, security, and social integration.

The refugee crisis which Türkiye has been experiencing since 2011 has led to serious
needs in terms of legal and institutional capacity for a country that received only 8,932
international protection applications in 2010. The Directorate General of Migration
Management, which started operating in 2014, has suddenly needed to handle millions
of refugees. The most serious problem in this process is the “temporary” approach,
which is caused by the uncertainty of how the situation will be shaped. However, after
the year 2014, the number of Syrians who were taken under temporary protection
quickly exceeded 1.5 million. The low chance of establishing peace in Syria in a short
time and the high possibility of Syrian refugees’ staying in Türkiye brought the crisis to
another dimension

Even though the sociological facts and other global experiences strengthen the
probability of Syrians’ permanence in Türkiye, it cannot be ignored that the process in
Syria is extremely dynamic and that the alternative of return is on the agenda. There
is no doubt that the preferences of the Syrians who were forced to leave their country
and of the host countries are primarily focused on return. The initiative that Türkiye
has taken in the region and its operations against terrorist organizations, Operation
Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch, as well as other progress in the region
have also created some hope around these issues. As of September 7, 2016, 44,643,100
Syrians voluntarily returned to Jarabulus, which was cleansed of terrorist organizations
by Türkiye, has also increased their hopes.

Readmission from Greece, which started in April 2016 within the scope of the March
18 agreement with the EU, has caused both the number of refugees who come to Türkiye
through Syria and Iraq and those transiting to Europe through Türkiye to decrease
significantly. However, this process also has increased the likelihood of Syrians staying
in Türkiye. More than 92% of Syrian refugees in Türkiye live in urban areas throughout
the country and try to make room for themselves in every aspect of life. Hence, there
are many signs that the sociological-psychological threshold for repatriation is now left
behind.

128 SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT