Page 7 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

coming to our country to save their lives, and we regard this as a humanitarian
mission.

Although we have faced intense pressure due to the instability in Syria and Iraq
and the resulting migration and refugee issues, in fact we are not strangers to this
subject.

For Anatolia is a land of migrants.

Anatolia has always been a safe harbor in every period of history for all oppressed
peoples who faced persecution, oppression, and violence in their lands.

For centuries, everyone – from Jews escaping massacres and Christians in Eastern
Europe to Muslims in the Caucasus and the Balkans – has found a shelter in this
country. Türkiye is a safe place, the country of “the friends who wipe away tears
without being noticed,” in the words of the late Fethi Gemuhluoğlu.

Furthermore, we have not only opened our arms to those who come to our own
lands, but we have also endeavored to lend a hand to the oppressed and the
downtrodden abroad.

Among more than 140 nations, Türkiye has earned the right to the title of the
world’s most generous country in proportion to its national income, with about $6
billion worth of humanitarian and development aid.

On the other hand, international society and organizations have unfortunately been
unable to successfully find the solution to this humanitarian crisis.

If we desire peace and tranquility for the whole world, we should seek ways to
become active in the crisis and in conflict-affected regions, rather than confining our
attention and capabilities to our own borders. The tragic events we have experienced
in recent years show that Brussels and Berlin cannot be at peace while Aleppo,
Baghdad, Mosul and Gaziantep burn. Türkiye’s convictions about humanitarian aid
aim to engage not only its own but also the collective conscience. In this respect, I
find the report of the Ombudsman Institution very valuable.

I would like to thank the Chief Ombudsman of the Ombudsman Institution, Mr.
Malkoç, and his team, who prepared the Migration and Refugees Report. I hope
that this report will bring benevolence to Türkiye and to humanity.

SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT 7