An
eye-witness shares his observations.
By
Chris
Green
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| A Syrian refugee family from Aleppo, stay under a shelter during a rainy day on March 8 at Üsküdar in Istanbul. AFP photo, Bülent KILIÇ |
It is well known and rightly internationally
acknowledged that Turkey has been hosting very significant numbers of
Syrian refugees, pretty much from the outset of the internal conflict
that has wreaked havoc throughout the entire country and which has
cost around 150,000 lives with millions displaced from their
ancestral homelands. It is highly unlikely in a number of cases if
some will ever return which means that the children who have been
born since the upheavals and displacement, will ever know their true
homeland. This column has been vocal in the positive promotion of the
Turkish response to this crisis but has just received an account from
a Turkish contact in Istanbul and, in the interests of highlighting
the prolonged suffering of the Syrian people, this account is
published as follows with minimal retouching:
I
returned to Istanbul 1 month ago after being away for the autumn
/winter season. I noticed a shocking increase in Syrians in the
streets. Its impossible to walk down any street without Syrians kids
running up to you with their passports asking for loose change. Many
Syrians line Istkal Street hoping a tourist will spare a lira or 2.
Last week I was sitting outside when a Syrian woman with 2 kids
walked up to the table and asked for change. She pulled her passport
and I immediately reached inside my wallet to give up some change.
Before I could the restaurant owner removed her with force from the
my tables yelling at her in Turkish. I was disturbed but what could I
do? I've noticed police officers use excessive force when catching
Syrians stealing fruit and food from the markets.
I've
had several discussion with numerous of Turks concerning Syria. The
large majority of the Turks seem to hate having them here. It seems
Turks blame Syrians more for their countries economic downturn than
their corrupt government. One individual a Professor at Bigli
University told me that Syrians were nothing more than con artists.
He explained to me that his friends in border cities told him that
Syrian migrate to Turkey to collect money from the government and
then return home to their normal lives. I asked him was he and his
friends mad? He said that crime in border cites have increased and
that Syrians regularly steal, rob, and attack people. I explained to
him that Turkey like most of the world had failed Syrians. I told him
to examine Sweden who instead of treating Syrians like refugees have
decided to welcome them with citizenship, education, jobs, and tools
to transition them into into Sweden culture.
I was
told once by someone in Turkey that the media coverage is all
propaganda and that the Syrian Civil War is being exaggerated. This
debate didn't end well. I gave him the statistics of deaths, orphaned
kids, and refugees and he downplayed it as Western Media Games.
Last
night I had dinner with a friend who works for Reuters. He is the
coordinator for the Middle East. He informed me that while Turkey has
taken measures to help Syrians, they have fought hard to keep them
out of Istanbul. The government fears it will hurt their image (like
the protest aren't!). He said for a long time they just ignored them
here in Istanbul, hoping that if they didn't provide services they
would return back to border towns. However the number has
sky-rocketed and the government is left playing catch- up. There are
no organization here in Istanbul that helps Syrians. He said there
has been little campaigning in Turkey to raise awareness and money
for Syrians.
Like all
immigrants Syrians are blamed for everything. I had a friend quit his
job 2 months ago. He blames Syrians for not being able to find a job.
He said they work illegally and for less so there are no jobs.
I've
been researching for myself organizations in which I can help.
However I have ran into dead in. It's not uncommon to see kids
parent-less playing in the streets walking around. These kids needs
shelter, guardianships, and education. Someone needs to save them.
The
foregoing is chilling to read given that the Turkish are known for
their hospitality however, there has been antipathy between the two
peoples historically and this could take its roots in Ottoman times.
It must be stressed that the text shared is the testament of an
eye-witness who is expressing his personal views and opinions based
upon his observations and that this columnist is not, and cannot endorsing or otherwise, this account – how could they, given
the personal nature of the account? But it is absolutely right that this account
is made public in the hope that the appropriate authorities can be
compelled to look into the ongoing plight of the Syrian people more
closely and with all due compassion, or let us not forget that the
casus beli for the Syrian conflict is way above and beyond the
ordinary men, women and children of Syria.
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| Besparmak Media Services |
Footnote:
This article will be updated with further images as soon as they are received and it is furthermore intended to develop this item as further information on the scene becomes available CJG.
