Turkey has expressed its intention not to restrict the flow of refugees traveling to Europe as a result of the escalation of the conflict in the Syrian province of Idlib.
The Turkish threats may annul the agreement signed between Ankara and the European Union in 2016, according to which Turkey receives economic benefits in exchange for stopping the migration flow.
Recep Erdogan, apparently, decided to ruin relations with Europe completely, creating a significant threat to state security for her countries. Particularly difficult in this regard was Greece, which is the first European country to face the Syrian refugees.
Especially for World Geostrategic Insights, Denis Korkodinov talked about this with Mudar Hammad Al-Assad, President of the Syrian Association for Refugee Rights, and representative of the High Council of Syrian Tribes, and with Marcus Papadopoulos, historian and expert on international affairs, consultant of the British Parliament.
1. The flow of refugees traveling from Turkey to Greece is increasing, as a result of which the countries of the European Union are in a state of panic. At the same time, German Chancellor Angela Merkel officially announced on March 2, 2020 that “Turkey’s use of refugees to express dissatisfaction is unacceptable.” However, it seems that Recep Erdogan is serious about creating a huge migration problem for Europe, which could lead to an economic crisis, since Turkish refugees will need to be fed, arranged for them, paid benefits, which will be an additional burden for European taxpayers. In addition, with the increase in the number of migrants from Turkey to Europe, the threat of terrorism increases significantly, since among the refugees there is a large number of militants who fought in the ranks of the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations. What do you think about this? Can the European Union prevent the Turkish-initiated migration crisis? How likely is it that Europe could face in the near future a series of terrorist attacks involving refugees?
MUDAR HAMMAD AL-ASSAD: The EU can prevent the flow of refugees to Europe, when the main reasons that led to the migration of the Syrian people are eliminated. And this is one of the important issues agreed upon with the United Nations.
First of all, this is due to the need to strictly comply with the provisions of international resolutions relating to the crisis in Syria: Geneva-1, as well as UN Security Council Resolutions 2254 and 2218. With their help, the problem in Syria can be solved so that it does not threaten the countries of the international community . In addition, it is necessary to stop providing military assistance to the participants in the regional conflict. This is necessary in order to deprive the warring parties of the technical and material capabilities to continue military operations.
Of course, among the refugees flowing to Europe, there may be militants who are members of several terrorist organizations. And they can commit criminal acts if they do not promptly take measures to neutralize them. But for this in Europe there are law enforcement agencies, police and special services. They must work effectively to reduce terrorist risks that no one is safe from. And I think that the European Union will cope with this problem.
MARCUS PAPADOPOULOS: Turkey uses refugees as a bargaining chip in its relations with the European Union. In particular, when Recep Erdogan wants concessions or money from Brussels, the Turks open a “migration crane”, as a result of which Europe is overflowing with refugees. In fact, Turkey is blackmailing Europe and is a double dealer of the worst kind. But the problem for the EU is that the vast majority of its members are also members of NATO, which means that it is politically and militarily connected with Turkey. In addition, Europe falls under the political, economic, and military dominance of the United States, which maintains close strategic relations with Ankara. Both of the aforementioned realities mean that Europe owes Turkey and is limited in its ability to outwit the Turks.
The EU, in this case, can do nothing, since there is practically no room for maneuver. And if earlier Europe faced the Ottoman Empire only through the army, as a result of which the Turks were defeated in the battle of Vienna in 1683, today the Turkish threat is presented in the form of Islamism and refugees, which is difficult for European countries to cope with. Moreover, it is worth noting that the status of “refugees” in relation to the situation with Turkey should be enclosed in quotation marks, since among the displaced persons there are a lot of bandits who are purposefully sent to Europe to commit crimes. It is enough to interview German women about their experience of interacting with the “refugees” in 2015, when cases of gang rapes committed by migrants occurred almost every day. The inhabitants of Germany were simply afraid to take to the streets after such crimes. You can also talk with the Austrians. And they will tell you terrible stories about children and tourists raped and killed by “refugees” from Turkey.
In addition, there is an Islamist dimension for many of the “refugees” and the security threat they pose to Europe.
2. On March 2, 2020, Turkish President Recep Erdogan officially announced that more than 117 thousand refugees entered Greece. At the same time, the number of variable persons continues to grow. Does this indicate that Greece may not be able to cope with the flow of refugees in the near future, which will cause another economic crisis? Can Greece deport refugees back to Turkey or Syria? Will Damascus accept refugees if European Union countries decide to share the burden of responsibility for the migration crisis?
MUDAR HAMMAD AL-ASSAD: Honestly, the problem of Syrian refugees, which is exacerbating and increasing every day, is caused by the irresponsible policies of a number of countries that refuse to admit their guilt, including for what is happening between Turkey and Greece. First of all, this applies to the League of Arab States and the international coalition led by the United States. Among other things, the UN should bear the greatest responsibility for not fulfilling what is in line with its charter with regard to the protection of children, women, the cessation of hostilities and the prevention of the destruction of infrastructure, especially hospitals, bridges and schools. For this reason, Turkey, on its own initiative, has begun to create a safe zone throughout northern Syria in order to accommodate citizens who have been displaced from the site of military operations. However, this was rejected, despite the fact that the creation of a safe zone is one of the legitimate demands of the Syrian people.
The transfer of all Syrian refugees to the protection of the United Nations inevitably requires the implementation of a whole range of projects for industrial, professional, educational, youth and sports development, empowerment for disabled people, women and children of Syrian refugees. This is a direct responsibility of international organizations and countries hosting refugees into their territory. They must guarantee a stable life for Syrian refugees in terms of housing, clothing, food, education and medicine.
Syrian refugees who enter Greece have the goal of reaching the “heart of Europe” and staying in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Spain, Luxembourg, Sweden. Therefore, European countries must fulfill their obligations in this regard and take responsibility for the maintenance of refugees.
In turn, Greece, as a transit point in the migration flow, should not be abusive to Syrian refugees, mainly because they were displaced as a result of terrorist military operations.
Currently, the liberated areas in the Syrian north, in the areas of Afrina, Tal Abyad, Saluk and Ras al Ain, have become stable due to the return of a large number of Syrian refugees from Turkey, thanks to the restoration of schools, universities, institutes, hospitals at the initiative of the Turkish government , dispensaries, water stations, telecommunications, electricity.
In general, Syrian refugees in Turkey are in a good position compared to what they are in neighboring countries. The Turkish government provides them with free medical, educational and humanitarian assistance. Many refugees got jobs in Ankara, Istanbul and other cities. In addition, about 150,000 Syrian citizens received Turkish citizenship.
If Syria or other countries want to host refugees, Turkey is unlikely to mind. However, the government of Bashar al-Assad must understand that for the maintenance of refugees you need a lot of money and a desire to deal with the fate of people. So far, Damascus does not have this money. Greece does not have this money either. Nevertheless, the United Nations and the European Union have this money, which should help all countries to accept Syrian refugees.
MARCUS PAPADOPOULOS: Greece is at the forefront of Turkey and is subject to significant pressure from the United States due to the fact that it is in the political, economic and military orbit of the West. Washington is doing this in order to force the EU to take a tougher stance on Idlib and to blame the Syrian and Russian governments for fighting there.
At the moment, Greece is coping with the “refugees” on its borders, but all this can change if the migration flow increases and Athens yields to American as well as Turkish pressure.
The economy remains fragile, and the costs of deploying additional police and soldiers to guard the borders of Greece are significant. However, Athens understands that the admission of “refugees” will have grave consequences for the Greek economy, as well as for the security and well-being of the Greek people.
In light of the fact that Damascus has repeatedly stated that it would like real Syrian refugees to return to their homeland, Greece could theoretically contribute to this, although the stumbling block is the lack of diplomatic relations between Athens and Damascus, which was associated with the decision of Greece to withdraw its diplomatic Syrian personnel in June 2012 due to pressure from the United States.
3. February 29, 2020, in the south of Turkey, pogroms began in areas where refugees from Syria compactly live. Radically-minded Turks in organized groups literally kick them out of the country. Based on this, refugees flee to the countries of the European Union not of their own free will. They are driven out of Turkey on a national basis, just because they are Syrians. Is it really? How does Damascus react to the fact that their compatriots are forcibly expelled from Turkey? Can the Bashar al-Assad government send an official note of protest to Turkey for artificially provoking a migration crisis? In which case, Recep Erdogan can stop sending flows of refugees to European countries?
MUDAR HAMMAD AL-ASSAD: I do not have information that there have been cases of forced expulsion of Syrian refugees in Turkey. Meanwhile, I admit the possibility that minor conflicts between the local population and migrants may occur in some Turkish regions. However, these conflicts are quickly resolved. However, these conflicts do not occur on a national basis. In other words, no one expels people from Turkey because these people have a different nationality and do not have Turkish citizenship.
Thus, the government of Bashar al-Assad has no objective reason to express a note of protest to Ankara regarding discrimination against refugees, since there is no evidence that this discrimination even occurs.
Turkish President Recep Erdogan does not provoke a migration crisis. On the contrary, it helps to ensure that Syrian refugees are safe and have normal living conditions. However, if Syrian refugees want to leave Turkey and move to other countries, this is their right. Ankara cannot restrict refugees in their rights.
MARCUS PAPADOPOULOS: Turks have a long and notorious history of abuse against other nations, including the Syrians. In this regard, there are many refugees from Syria who would like to return to their homeland, but cannot do this because their land is occupied by terrorists. For this reason, these refugees headed north to Turkey, where they were abused by Turkish nationalists.
After Idlib is liberated by the Syrian Arab Army and the refugees begin to return to their homeland, we will undoubtedly hear reports of torturous treatment of them, although Western media will inevitably prefer to ignore such stories because they do not fit into the West’s narrative of the Syrian conflict .
Since the conflict in Syria, Damascus has repeatedly stated to the United Nations that Turkey has played an important role in the refugee crisis that has swept Europe. And this statement is incontrovertible. If Turkey did not become a key participant in the Syrian crisis, then there would not be a migration problem that threatens Greece and the rest of Europe.
Image Credit: AFP