Migrant hostility is being used to rebuild fascism, according to journalist Ercüment Akdeniz, who presented at a ‘Living Together and Migration’ monitoring panel in Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday.
The panel, organised by the Migration Monitoring Association (GÖÇİZDER) and held at Esenyurt Cultural Centre, featured speeches from pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Colemêrg MP Öznur Bartin, GÖÇİZDER Co-chair Kamile Kandal, and Akdeniz.
Kandal opened the discussion by advocating for oppressive migration issues to be abolished by transforming war policies into peace policies. “We must expand our struggle and force this despotic system to change,” she stated. Kandal highlighted the plight of internally displaced persons, particularly Kurds, who face forced internal migration due to state policies. She emphasised that such displacement often leads to significant human rights violations and massacres.
Akdeniz, discussing the historical context of migration, argued that migrant hostility serves as a tool for rebuilding fascism. “A century ago, economic crises left masses starving. Today, economic crises, coupled with ecological destruction, herald new wars, where xenophobia is a convenient tool,” he explained. Akdeniz noted that the political manipulation of xenophobia during economic downturns is a recurring historical pattern, observable in contemporary politics.
DEM Party MP Öznur Bartin criticised the Turkish government’s policy of appointing trustees in place of elected officials, particularly in Hakkâri (Colemêrg), which hampers local governance and exacerbates regional inequalities. “Many regions may face these issues, but they are significantly worse here. We still experience water shortages in the 21st century, and the imposition of trustees for three terms in Hakkâri has obstructed services,” she highlighted. Bartin pointed to significant migration from Turkey’s Kurdish-majority regions due to anti-democratic practices and a lack of basic services.
Bartin also cited international migration statistics from 2023, noting that while 316,554 people migrated to Turkey, 714,597 left the country. Focusing on the situation in Kurdish-majority regions, Bartin concluded: “In Kurdistan, Van (Wan) has a population of 1,127,000, making it one of the largest cities in the region. Yet, the population is declining due to anti-democratic practices, forcing especially the youth to emigrate.”
