In a street interview, Syrian youth Ahmet Kanjo, who was subjected to verbal abuse by a group of citizens, said, "Who am I? I am a human” reaction garnered great support.
The fact that even foreign-born visiting professors working at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) are exposed to racism has revealed the extent of the danger.
After the civil war that broke out in Syria in 2011, millions of refugees had to take shelter in Turkey.
However, millions of refugees who took refuge in Turkey due to the wrong immigration and refugee policies of the government are exposed to extreme approaches from time to time.
The refugee problem, which has been growing with the deepening of the economic crisis in recent years, is getting deeper due to the government's lack of policy.
The refugee problem, which causes attitudes shifting to extreme nationalism, is the last question of the question "Who am I? I am a human being” came up again with the reaction.
The fact that even foreign-born visiting professors working at ITU are exposed to racism reveals that the refugee and asylum-seeking problem in Turkey will cause more serious problems if no action is taken.
On the other hand, the fact that some politicians make the issue a political material causes the refugee problem to escalate at the social level.
“TURKEY DOES NOT HAVE A CONSISTENT MIGRATION AND IMMIGRANTS POLICY”
Stating that approaches such as voluntary repatriation and integration will always be limited before the civil war and conflicts in Syria are over, Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty Member and Political Scientist Dr. Hasan Turgut said, "The phenomenon of immigration is nothing new. People in the Mediterranean and Near East (MENA) region have been leaving their homes since the 2000s. Nobody wants to leave their home country. He does not want to leave the life he is used to and move towards the unknown. Even if we only take Syria as a reference, we are talking about a process of more than 10 years. These people have built a new life for themselves. Now, how realistic is it to say that you are going back? Rather than voluntary repatriation, Turkey does not have a consistent immigration and immigration policy. Return or integration or other options make projects such as voluntary return realistic."
“CONTENT PRODUCERS SHOULD HAVE SENSITIVITY”
Turgut said that political leaders did not share any definite information about the number of immigrants who obtained Turkish citizenship.
"It is important for the public to share the information they have in order to support their claims. Otherwise, unfortunately, this situation does not go beyond feeding xenophobia and racism. Intentionally or unintentionally, we are left with nothing but information pollution. Conspiracy theories and discriminatory discourses cause misinformation to spread more quickly. Street interviewers also need to adopt an ethical approach. Content producers must be sensitive. Information should not be shared without confirmation. We should avoid polarizing and divisive language," he added.