Populist Turkish politicians stoke tensions over Syrian refugees as elections loomANKARA: A toxic and dangerous anti-refugee discourse is gaining momentum in Turkey. Experts have warned about far-right politicians using Syrian refugees as a political card ahead of general and presidential elections scheduled for next year. Puttmann said that by deploying this strategy, Ozdag is seeking to exploit not only Turks’ grievances with regard to the hosting Syrian refugees but also their strong sense of nationalism. Syrian refugees in Turkey have been banned from visiting their families back home during Eid Al-Adha, while new quotas have been applied to residence permits. Puttmann noted that much of the Turkish debate on the Syrian refugees is an extension of the debate on the meaning of Turkish identity.

Source: Ethiopian News June 29, 2022 13:46 UTC