The situation and future of Syrians in Lebanon and Turkey

While 3 million people forced to flee the conditions of the civil war in Syria have taken refuge in Turkey, 1.7 million Syrians have taken refuge in Lebanon. Jordan has taken in about as many.

Truly, with its attitude toward refugees and its refugee camps, Turkey has raised all the standards in this field to a degree previously unimaginable. In the camps set up in the border regions under AFAD's control, all kinds of needs of the Syrian asylum seekers are met. By taking into account everything from the education of children to health services and public spaces, a great leap has been made in the very concept of the refugee camp, with an understanding of quality service. Moreover, this leap has not yet been repeated anywhere else in the world.

However, as I have noted before, it must not be overlooked that Lebanon, whose population is about one-fourteenth of Turkey's, has accepted as refugees nearly a third of its current population. Moreover, Lebanon's economic situation and power cannot be compared with Turkey's. In return, the Syrians in Lebanon do not experience any of the problems experienced in each of the European countries that accept very few refugees, just like in Turkey.

In fact, this is a tremendous indication of how decisive cultural differences are in accepting these waves of migration, embracing them and making them an element of social development. When we consider together with Lebanon and Jordan, and even with Pakistan, which has likewise received serious migration from Afghanistan, that the absence in Turkey, while accepting these waves of migration, of the kind of xenophobia and hatred of migrants that could be experienced in the face of a similar development in Europe is not unique to Turkey, we see that Muslim culture is very decisive in this.

The deeply rooted belief that sustenance belongs to God, and that a person who comes arrives together with his sustenance, works in the Islamic world as a factor that greatly facilitates the acceptance of the migrant, in the reception of the muhajirin.

Although in Lebanon, owing to the emergency, migration is accepted as if it were a command of God, in the long term the Syrians' staying here is not looked upon warmly. This is determined largely by concerns about the possibility of changing the demographic distribution in Lebanon in favor of certain sides. In particular, the Shiite and Christian parties bring up the necessity of the Syrians' return more often, since the great majority of Syrian refugees are Sunni. The Sunni camp led by Saad Hariri shares the same view, but opposes the refugees being sent to Syria against their will. That would in any case be a step contrary to human rights. After the conference, we met at a dinner hosted by our Ambassador Çağatay Erciyes with the Minister of Migration Affairs Mouin Merheby and Mohammad Kabbani, the chairman of the Turkey-Lebanon Parliamentary Friendship Group. The conversation was at one point about Syrian migration. Hariri and the Minister argue that instead of the Syrians being sent at random into Syria, everyone should be sent to his own region after the place they came from has been liberated, so that there are no demographic operations inside Syria. For this, they want the process to be carried out under the supervision of the UN.

The Syrian refugees do not have official camps as they do with us. They live in makeshift huts and tents that they built themselves. The government worries that if there were official camps, these would become permanent in the country, as in the Palestinian camps. Turkey is trying to help the Syrian refugees in Lebanon as well, as far as its means allow. Most recently, last Ramadan, food aid was provided to 5,500 families through the organization of the Embassy. The role played by Ambassador Erciyes in a society containing this much diversity gains much greater importance, and he does this very successfully, in strong dialogue with everyone.

SOCIOLOGY NEVERTHELESS KEEPS WORKING

Although the fact that Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan receive Syrian migration with comparatively fewer problems has to do with culture, sociology and politics continue to operate. The rational management of these migrations gains great importance everywhere.

For example, while Turkey, in receiving the migration, took no account of differences of sect, religion, race or socio-economic level, the Europeans, who receive the Syrians they have to take out of the necessary fulfillment of a responsibility, pay great attention to their being educated and, if possible, Christian or Kurdish.

One of the sociological effects of the incoming migrations is that a significant part of these people will no longer be able to leave here even if they wish, or that even if they leave, one foot of theirs will always remain in Turkey. Turkey needs to make the appropriate preparations for this.

When the citizenship issue was opened before the elections, unfortunately the opposition political parties, especially the CHP, showed great outrage, and this led to the citizenship issue being suspended or postponed. Yet we no longer have an election agenda, and there can be no approach as shallow as tying the issue to elections. The matter is now one concerning migrants' rights, that is, human rights.

LET US NOT GET OUR HAND ACCUSTOMED TO TIMIDITY

These people, who have been living in this country for 5-6 years and making significant contributions to this country's economy, culture and social structure, because they could not become citizens, can have their labor exploited owing to the compulsory conditions of sociology, cannot meet some basic needs, cannot use their freedom of travel, and live in unease owing to the perception of an uncertain future. This in fact causes a loss of human power for our country.

We must know that migration does not weaken a country like Turkey; on the contrary, it strengthens it. Throughout history, waves of migration have been one of the important factors that have nourished and strengthened Turkey in terms of quality human resources, cultural richness and social dynamism. Having absorbed these migrations in the most humane way has always been a step that saved Turkey at historical turning points, with its Seljuks, its Ottomans and its Republic.

History repeats itself; let us not be late to the flow of history, let us not get our hand accustomed to timidity; whatever we are going to do, let us do it as soon as possible and move on.

INNA LILLAH WA INNA ILAYHI RAJIUN

Ecrin, the little beloved daughter of our dear brother Ersin Çelik, the web editorial director of Yeni Şafak, lost her life in a tragic traffic accident. We know how hard it is to find consolation for this pain, but we all belong to God and to Him we shall return. It is not possible to extend or shorten by a single second the life God has written. May God have mercy on her. I extend condolences and wish patience from God to our brother Ersin, his wife and all who love him.