A Conversation on the Dirty Deal: How Syrians Feel About the New Agreement

Ali, 26 was one of the lucky ones that had made to Greece after a dangerous trip to Lesbos from Ayvalık, Turkey. It took him almost 20 days on road to reach Holland from Greece to where he is living now to seek asylum.

Almost two months after his passage the deal to hold the refugees in Turkey was signed.

With this deal Turkey promised the European Union that it would halt the flow of refugees coming from Turkey. In return, Turkey would would receive €6 billion fund for refugees and later on visa-free travel with a fast-tracked EU membership.

(For a review of the deal click here)

With the introduction of this deal, we wanted to talk on how this deal is seen by Syrian people and what were the motivations that led him to conduct this dangerous journey and go to Europe.

The whole World grieves for Kurdi yet no one bares responsibility

Ali starts the conversation by stating that when Aylan Kurdi’s small body was screened in the shores of Bodrum the ‘whole world’ grieved but nobody felt responsible.

He says that actually what was going on in the Turkish side of the shore was systematic repression, racism, exploitation of labor and the restrictions of freedom of movement.

He says:

"However, the government of Turkey showed itself again as the ‘victim’ because of the flow of refugees. And the Syrians they were the ones to blame…"

He states that in Turkey some of the Syrian man were blamed they were not ‘brave’ enough to fight.

Another issue was the discourse which underlined that ‘the rents are high because of Syrians’, or insults such as ‘they stink’, ‘they work for cheap’ or ‘they are ugly images in the shores’.

People are not risking their lives for nothing.

He goes on to tell that "what the Turkish state demanded from Syrians was and still is ‘obey our rules or leave’. Today he underlines that the state threatens the people by telling them "we will send you back to Syria".

This desperation, the lack of a future is the reason for the dangerous trip according to Ali both for himself and others like him.

He states that the people who said ‘Crossing No More’ (see their statement) are taken into camps or the prisons of the Turkish state, beaten and assaulted by the police.

These arrests by the Turkish government has had an effect on those who have reached Europe. They feel heartbroken that the ones left behind are being treaded unjustly. Ali adds that some of them are on hunger strike, some of them want to kill themselves. He emphasizes over and over again that the Syrian people in Turkey are no way near to receiving their basic rights.

He adds:

"With the new regulations, enhanced with the visit of Merkel, they are trapped in the cities where they have received their ‘papers’. So number one, they do not have freedom of movement. The freedom of movement that the European values insist upon is violated by this deal. This is followed by acquiring a job, education or even a decent meal…"

The Syrians want their basic rights

When I ask what does the Syrian people want, Ali states that first they want their basic rights. He underlines that of the main reasons they come to Europe is the quest for education. What kind of future will they have without going to schools? he emphasizes. He also states that in Turkey Syrians can only become cheap labour.

"In Turkey they know that they can only become ‘cheap labor’, Europe means hope for them, Europe means future for them. One said that ‘I’d rather die than living here, because I do not have a life here’."

He adds: "The deal signed from ‘above’ is going to bring misery to the refugees. Merkel’s visit is a dirty deal played on the people who are in the quest for a better life.This deal will result in the more suffering of the people especially in Turkey, which is ruled by authoritarian Erdoğan who has the chance to implement repression easily and the people who will struggle to reach Europe."

So what do the Syrian people want? He says:

"First they want to be treated as ‘humans’. The problem is in Turkey is that the Turkish government uses rhetoric more than action. For the last years the JDP government has been using the Syrian issue as a tool not really a policy."

Syrians would prefer to stay in Turkey if they had proper rights

We finish the conversation with these words: if they have proper rights in Turkey many of them would stay in Turkey.

He states:

"The Syrian people are not refugees in Turkey they are named as ‘guests’ and seen as ‘temporary’ residents. With this they can not build a life by being a guest. Apart from the demand crossing no more they want access to fair rights in work and primarily education. If they have proper rights in Turkey many of them would stay there. The Syrian people want their legal rights, not a rhetoric that tells them that ‘feel grateful for what we give you and be quiet or we will send you back."

#english #türkiye #suriye #opinion #görüş #refugees #mülteciler #mülteci