The opposition’s candidate said the Mediterranean countries, the EU and the UN should cooperate to address the issue. By Bianet on May 3, 2023.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the upcoming elections, has called on the EU to cooperate with Turkey on the migration.
In a Twitter video late yesterday, Kılıçdaroğlu criticized the government’s handling of the crisis and promised a shift in Turkey’s refugee policies, but also stressed the need for international cooperation.
Saying that Turkey should meet the needs of its own people in terms of water, energy and infrastructure, he remarked, « Europe has to realize that we cannot even keep the citizens of Turkey, let alone harbor these asylum seekers and irregular [migrants], if Turkey loses its own infrastructure and water. »
« The European Union has to get out of the mindset that I give a bribe and get away with it, » he said, referring to the 2016 refugee deal between the EU and Turkey, which aimed to reduce the number of refugees coming to Europe by providing financial aid to Turkey, which agreed to take back migrants who crossed the Aegean Sea to reach Greece.
However, the agreement has been criticized by human rights groups and the UN for violating international law and not providing adequate protection to refugees. Turkey’s opposition parties have also criticized the government over the deal, accusing it of turning Turkey into « Europe’s refugee camp. »
Repeating this criticism, Kılıçdaroğlu said that the agreement needs to be re-evaluated and that Turkey cannot continue to act as a « buffer zone » for climate refugees.
Therefore, he argued, Turkey should lead the Mediterranean Basin countries, where temperatures are rising 20 percent faster than the rest of the world, with « a new vision » for the region, and the EU should cooperate with it.
Climate migration
Kılıçdaroğlu further warned that the Euphrates and Tigris rivers could dry up in the next 20 years if no measures are taken, causing agricultural problems in southeastern Turkey and affecting hydroelectric power plants, leading to severe water shortage. This would also result in over 60 million people in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq suffering from famine and water scarcity, he added.
Kılıçdaroğlu emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that if Turkey fails to act, it could face an influx of refugees from Syria and Iraq. In response, he called on the EU and countries in the Mediterranean Basin to work together to « reunite Syrians with their homeland » within two years at the latest.
The roadmap
He suggested negotiations with the Syrian administration and the establishment of a protocol with the legitimate government to secure the life and property of those who leave the country. The European Union and the United Nations would be involved in this protocol.
Kılıçdaroğlu also proposed that contractors from Turkey build houses, schools, roads, and kindergartens for asylum seekers returning to Syria with funds from this cooperation. This plan aims to help Syrians rebuild their homes and communities, and to ensure a safe and sustainable return to their homeland.