Ankara’s humanitarian approach on migrants is based on dignity and morality, the spokesperson for the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Ömer Çelik said on Sunday.
Çelik’s words came in response to claims that Türkiye might experience the same violent acts that are currently ongoing in France.
Rioting and protests continue in France sparked by the killing of a 17-year-old, Nahel M., by the police. The killing was captured on video, which spread on social media and fueled anger over police violence against minorities, exposing severe racial tensions in France.
“It is a provocation to bring together the dignified and morally based humanitarian approach of the Republic of Türkiye with the policies of other countries full of colonialism, racist violence and humanitarian drama,” Çelik wrote on Twitter.
He further said that politicians, analysts and journalists making these claims engaged in hate crimes with migrants as targets, thereby risking damage to the peaceful atmosphere in Türkiye.
Çelik also reiterated that Türkiye tries to address the problem of migration at its roots, via policies seeking to reestablish peace in conflict zones and enable the return of people to their countries.
Following counterterrorism operations, Ankara has been involved in efforts to rebuild Syrian towns' infrastructure as well as health and educational institutions. Schools are being renovated and a hospital is being built. The activities boosted the number of Syrians returning to their homeland from neighboring countries. So far, around 500,000 Syrians have returned from Türkiye to Syria.
“The Turkish Republic is following a strong policy for a peaceful atmosphere in the region in which no one has to flee from his or her home, and people fleeing from death can safely return to their countries,” he added.
Türkiye hosts more Syrian migrants than any other country in the world. The country also made large investments for Syrians in Türkiye via social cohesion policies to help them smoothly integrate into society.
