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The ‘refugee problem’ was an issue of heated debate last week in Turkey with discussions on ‘sending the Syrian refugees back’ in many polemics.
Mithat Sancar, co-Chair of pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party, HDP, gave large part of his weekly parliamentary group speech to this issue on Tuesday, stating that the war was the cause.
He said:
“The humanitarian crisis millions of refugees are going through is the result of the expansionist policy provoking the Syrian civil war and even being a party to that war. We cannot solve this issue by overlooking the source of the problems; this can only result in worsening the problems.” said Mithat Sancar, in a HDP meeting at the Ankara parliament.
Criticizing the Erdoğan government, Sancar said:
“When they cannot prevent the economic collapse, the inflation, they try to offer people stories based on sending back the migrants, the refugees. The government led with this policy. First, they said “we will be sending them back” then they changed tune and said, “we will protect them.” And finally the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair [Erdoğan] said that they will provide the opportunities for voluntary returns. We have a government that changes decisions every hour. This is not a problem that you can manage if you change tune every hour.”
Sancar also criticised the opposition:
“It is not only those in power who are provoking hatred for ‘others’ in search of political gain, other opposition parties and those calling themselves opposition parties are also part of the same game. Those who do not know any other way, but hatred, antagonism and tension are trying to implement these policies over refugees.”
Sancar added:
“From the very beginning on we have made clear warnings that Turkey should not take part in the war in Syria and should not support the gangs there.”
“The government is deepening policies of war whilst stating that they will not be sending the refugees back and that they will let refugees choose on a voluntary basis.”
Making reference to Erdoğan’s ‘famous’ economic theory on interest rates and inflation; Sancar said,
“The war is the cause; the refugee/migrant problem is the result.”
