Istanbul [Turkey], April 26: Turkish opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kiliçdaroglu on Tuesday pledged to return refugees who fled the war in Syria within the next two years if he wins presidential and parliamentary elections."We will send our Syrian brothers and sisters back to their own country within two years at the latest," Kiliçdaroglu told arally in the central Anatolian province of Eskisehir. He did not elaborate on how his ambitious plan would work.
Experts earlier stressed it is not legally straightforward to force Syrians, who are under temporary protection in Turkey, to return home. Kiliçdaroglu's remarks come amid increasingly hostile sentiment against refugees in Turkey, which is already grappling with a worsening economic crisis. "What are 3.6 million Syrians doing in our country?" Kiliçdaroglu charged, arguing the refugees contributed to growing unemployment in Turkey.
He, however, warned against "racism" against Syrians. Kiliçdaroglu, the head of the secular main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), often blames Erdogan for a failed foreign policy and vows to mend ties with regional players, including Syria. Government data says Turkey is home to 3.7 million refugees from Syria. Erdogan had earlier shared plans to allow as many as 1 million Syrians to return voluntarily, mainly to regions in northern Syria, where Ankara occupies swathes of land along the border.Recent polls suggest a tight race between Kiliçdaroglu and Erdogan in May 14 elections.
Source: Qatar Tribune