Altun pointed out in his article that a new refugee crisis has emerged in Europe with the start of a war in Ukraine, adding in a matter of four weeks, some 3.5 million Ukrainians have sought refuge in neighboring countries.

Stating that as it contemplates how to handle this humanitarian crisis, Europe can turn to Türkiye for some lessons, Altun said, “After all, Türkiye has been handling refugee waves from the Middle East efficiently and humanely for many years, while most European nations were inflicting additional suffering on vulnerable victims of conflict with their ‘security-first’ asylum policies.” Reiterating that Türkiye has been the main destination for refugees escaping the Syrian conflict for over a decade now, Altun stated that they currently host around five million refugees from a number of countries, including four million Syrians. Noting that they have always treated refugees they are hosting with humanity and respect, Altun continued as follows:

“Turkish people welcomed refugees with open arms, and happily shared their bread with them for years. Unlike in Europe, where many politicians routinely resort to anti-immigration rhetoric for quick political gain, the Turkish leadership consistently resisted attempts by the domestic opposition to stoke anti-refugee sentiment in the country. The Turkish government refused to scapegoat refugees in the wake of terror attacks. Refugees, regardless of where they are from, found a true haven in Türkiye.”

Pointing out that the Turkish government has always been transparent about why and how it welcomes refugees in the country, Director of Communications Altun stated that it has always clearly communicated to the public that war is never the fault of the civilians escaping it. Emphasizing that the Turkish people have been aware of the dynamics of the conflict in neighboring Syria from the very beginning, Altun stated the following:

“Our government always made an effort to make sure the public at large is aware of what is going on in Syria and the threats civilians are facing there. In addition to an ongoing campaign to raise awareness, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has personally briefed the people on the conditions next doors. Unlike many of their European counterparts, Türkiye’s leaders did not allow far-right populism and anti-refugee activism to prosper in the country. Our government has always known that the state and the public have to be on the same page for the creation of a successful refugee policy. So, it made sure to engage non-governmental organizations when shaping its refugee policies. As a result, Turkish non-governmental organizations have confidently provided much-needed help to Syrian civilians both inside Türkiye and across the border in Syria, significantly reducing the burden on the state.”

Emphasizing that Türkiye has never discriminated against refugees based on ethnicity, religion, or gender, Altun said, “We, for example, opened our arms to all Syrians trying to escape the war: Arabs escaping the brutal Assad regime, Kurds running away from DAESH, and Turkomans persecuted and pushed out by the YPG, all found refuge in our country.”

 “What Türkiye has accomplished on its own in the face of such a lack of support is extraordinary”

Noting that they treated all victims of conflict the same, regardless of their ethnicities, their religious beliefs, or their backgrounds, Altun said, “We understood that picking and choosing refugees according to their religion or the color of their skin would be morally reprehensible. We also realized that such a discriminatory asylum policy could trigger destructive waves of xenophobia and racism in any country. Today, sadly, some European nations are falling into this trap and welcoming refugees from the war in Ukraine based on their appearances. Cultural affinity with the victims of a major military conflict should never be the basis upon which to forge a refugee policy.”

Underlining that the success of Türkiye’s refugee policy –in welcoming some 4 million refugees, empowering women, educating children and giving all asylum seekers a genuine opportunity to rebuild their lives– was a significant achievement considering the lack of proper international solidarity, Altun stated that major refugee crises cannot be managed without international burden-sharing. Altun continued as follows:

“Türkiye has never found the strong support it needed from the international community during the refugee crisis, except when our European allies felt threatened by irregular migration waves. Even then, they saw it as a security, not a humanitarian issue, and they simply tried to make the problem go away by providing some limited resources to Türkiye. This was no way to treat an ally - and it was no way to respond to a humanitarian tragedy that deeply destabilized an entire region. What Türkiye has accomplished on its own in the face of such a lack of support is extraordinary, and it cannot be expected from all countries. The international community should not repeat its past mistake and abandon the countries neighboring Ukraine, which are currently hosting most of the refugees from the conflict, the way Europe abandoned Türkiye during the Syrian refugee crisis.”

“The West should not make the mistake of treating Ukraine only as a geopolitical chessboard”

Pointing out that Türkiye always knew the ultimate resolution to any refugee crisis comes from ending its root cause: wars, military operations, conflicts, Altun underlined that without seriously confronting the main driver of the refugee inflows, we cannot expect to manage the humanitarian crises effectively.

Altun advocated that in the face of a refugee crisis, we should all seek conflict resolution opportunities, recognizing that such issues can only be addressed through creative political solutions, not military ones. Altun said:

“The West is now trying to increase the costs of its actions in Ukraine for Russia, but it should not lose sight of the need to find a diplomatic solution for the sake of millions of innocent civilians. The West should not make the mistake of treating Ukraine only as a geopolitical chessboard to counter Russia. The entire international community should push hard for diplomacy to end the conflict as soon as possible, not only for the sake of Ukrainians but also to maintain regional and global economic dynamics. Türkiye has stated its position clearly about Ukraine’s territorial integrity and political independence. At the same time, we must not lose sight of the emerging humanitarian crisis. The West must multitask by simultaneously contributing to the resolution of the conflict and addressing the plight of the Ukrainian refugees.”

“Türkiye is ready to share its experience”

Stating that Türkiye’s experience with the humanitarian consequences of the Syrian conflict is deeply relevant to anyone concerned about the consequences of what is happening in Ukraine, Altun said that the West should not make the same mistakes it did during the Syrian crisis. It should now opt for a humanitarian refugee policy instead of choosing the easy option of a securitized approach. Director of Communications Altun said, “It is high time for Europe to create an atmosphere where all refugees are welcome regardless of their background. This should be coupled with a serious and ongoing commitment to diplomacy to end the conflict as soon as possible.”

Noting that the alternative would be the deepening of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination without a roadmap to peace, Director of Communications Altun added that Türkiye is ready to share its experience and work toward the goals of both meeting the humanitarian challenge and ending the war. (ILKHA)