Ümit Özdağ, leader of the Victory Party (ZP) and a staunch advocate of anti-migrant and anti-refugee sentiment, has vowed to repatriate all refugees in Türkiye, claiming the country’s economic recovery was hinged on the removal of asylum seekers.
"Türkiye’s biggest problem is refugees and the economic crisis but it’s impossible for Türkiye to overcome the latter without sending the refugees back and their population is increasing very rapidly," Özdağ told reporters from the western Çorlu province during a visit on Wednesday to local shops and businesses.
He argued that no other alliance in Turkish politics but his own, the recently founded Ata Alliance currently rallying behind independent presidential runner Sinan Oğun for the upcoming elections, had "any intention of sending refugees back to their homelands."
People’s Alliance, helmed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in partnership with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the Great Union Party (BBP) and the recent additions New Welfare Party (YRP) and the Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR), and the six-party opposition bloc Nation Alliance are two leading electoral blocs in Türkiye right now.
"They say the refugees will leave if they wish to. We say, we’re spending $10 billion a year and their population is rising. Not only is it impossible for us to overcome the economic crisis but also, if the refugees stay, Türkiye will be dragged into a civil war like Lebanon and Jordan," Özdağ said, stressing that it was thus "necessary" to send the refugees back "even if we have to use force."
Özdağ claimed the Victory Party was "the party of youths, defending the rights of youths and assigning them key tasks."
"Many of the parliamentary candidates at our party are under the age of 25, many others below 30. We continue fighting with people that can foresee Türkiye’s future," he said.
Both Özdağ and Oğun will be touring and campaigning across the country until May 14.
Since long before the ZP released its election campaign earlier this year, Özdağ has been promising to "send" what he claims to be "13 million migrants refugees and illegals" in Türkiye.
Özdağ, who was expelled from the MHP and resigned from another party in five years, went on to found ZP in August 2021. He is the only deputy of his party represented in Parliament. The party found a relatively large following online though it will face its first real test in the upcoming elections. Özdağ was anticipated to run for the Presidency or nominate Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş but changed his mind and endorsed Oğan. Oğan and his alliance’s main election policy focus on expelling Syrian refugees and migrants from Türkiye if they win.
The ZP was repeatedly criticized in the past for its actions toward migrants and refugees, including videos Özdağ shared, showing him "interrogating" the refugees he came across, "recommending" them to leave Türkiye "as soon as possible" and his tweets about what critics call "false propaganda" against refugees. The party came under fire by nongovernment organizations (NGOs) working for refugee welfare when its supporters released last year a short film entitled "Silent Invasion" depicting a future Türkiye with more Arabs than Turks.
Though ZP is regarded as a fringe party, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is also a proponent of mass deportation, though it uses softer rhetoric. Party leader and Nation Alliance’s joint presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has pledged that they would send refugees back to Syria if they came to power, though it would be on a voluntary basis and in line with international laws.
The Turkish government too favors the return of refugees once security is maintained in Syria and helped some to return to areas cleared of terrorist groups with the assistance of the Turkish army in Syria’s north in the past. But Ankara steers away from mass deportation and forced returns and often boasts exemplary humanitarian assistance to refugees, praised by the international community.
Türkiye hosts the world’s largest refugee population, mostly made up of 3.6 million Syrians living under temporary protection. It's been more than 10 years since the first group of Syrian refugees, consisting of 250 people, entered Türkiye, starting their new lives in the country after fleeing the war and persecution of the Assad regime.