Turkey will forever be applauded for opening their border widely to millions of refugees especially those from Syria. For the long time that they have been there, anti-refugee sentiments have been common. Several times, they were threatened that they will be forcefully repatriated. 

The recent May Turkish elections left everyone unsure of the future, especially Syrians. For many, voting was not just a performance of political responsibility but an outward display of the need to see change. Whether Syrian-Turkish citizens or Turkish, everyone had high hopes for the outcome of their votes. 

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s win for another five years is a source of victory and hope to many people.  Many people voted for him because they thought his government protected their families and gave them the opportunity to have adoptive homes. 

What does this mean to Syrians?

Many Syrians see hope in the government of Erdogan. For example, Al-Abdullah  from Palmyra told ALjazeera his story. He didn’t hesitate to because of hi family. Fortunately for him, he was naturalized three years ago, because of his achievements in sports and education. His engagement in martial arts as a champion and a student of engineering at the University of Gaziantep, gave him the rare possibility to be selected for the citizenship process.

Regarding his family in Gaziantep, they were living under “temporary protection status”. In refugee terms, that implies they are legally protected from refoulement. Despite the fact that they entered Turkey illegally. For many years now, they have legal residency and access to basic services such as healthcare and education. However, their travel ability is limited only within their assigned province.

Based on reports from the United Nations refugee agency, the vast majority of refugees in Turkey – 3.6 million – are Syrians. They are living under temporary protection. Amazingly, about 200,000 have been granted Turkish citizenship since the 2011 Syrian war broke out.

What are the challenges Syrians face in Turkey?

Many Syrians claim there have been huge changes in the way they are treated by Turks. They blame the deteriorated relationship and unpleasant sentiments towards them based in the increasing economic crisis that has brought high levels of inflation. This has been directly connected to the fall of Turkey’s currency. All these situations provoked some Turks to become unhappy with migrants as a whole. Harassments and racist attacks have been the order of the day for many Syrians by some radical Turks. 

“At least [under Erdogan] I feel like I can be involved in Turkish politics like a Turk, not just as a Syrian. Many of us feel we are an integral part of this country because we grew up mainly here and don’t remember much about Syria,”  al-Abdullah told Aljazeera.

What do Syrians think about the election results?

On the streets of Inonu Caddesi, Gaziantep’s Syrian-majority neighbourhood, many Syrians say they feel relieved. Many of the half a million Syrians in Gaziantep were seriously affected by the devastating February 6 earthquakes. There were rumors that Erdogan will not have votes from this area because his government mismanaged funds and responded slowly when the disaster occurred. However, to everyone’s surprise,  Gaziantep had 62.7 percent of the votes for Erdogan. That huge number is said to be mostly from Syrians because this is a border city between Turkey and Syria. 

Reporting to Aljazeera News, 37-year-old Kara Ali said, “For me and my family, [his victory] is more ‘comfortable’ because his opponent based his election campaign on racism towards us refugees, which is certainly unsettling.” 

Syrians claim that their presence in Turkey was at the core of the second round of campaigns. This is because both presidential candidates spoke about the status of refugees in their countries. 

What was the major fear of Syrians?

It has been a shock for many people as the other political candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu had been making and posting public posters of his racist motives. With the big inscription ‘Syrians Will Go’, he outrightly accused them of threatening national security.  Such xenophobic rhetoric began after severe earthquakes, then during the election campaigns. For many Syrians, it was almost their time to leave Turkey. They were more afraid and uncertain about their already uncertain future. 

Adding to Aljazeera,  “I was living under great psychological pressure due to the increase in hate speech and the rise of racism against Syrians,”  Al-Dimashqi said in Sakulta, a popular coffee shop in Gaziantep where Syrians often meet.

“All our conversations and meetings as Syrians centred around the elections. We talked about our unknown future after the elections and our fear of how society would treat us in the aftermath,” he added. Al-Dimashqi, originally from Damascus. He moved to Gaziantep in 2016 by illegally crossing the border.

Every Syrian wanted Erdogan to win, mainly because they felt he accepted them as humans in Turkey. Though relieved, caution is the new watchword for Syrians these days.

Another main reason why Syrians were satisfied with Edrogan’s win is because he had promised during the campaign trail, that one million Syrians would be “voluntarily returned” to their country. This is in connection to his plans on normalizing relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Though there is no timeframe for this, Syrians with temporary protections are concerned that they’ll have to face other challenges, such as new paperwork to remain legal, or increases in rents and bills.

Generally, many Syrians still feel unsafe and insure in Turkey. 

Recommendation

Now is the time for the Turkish government to make clear stands on their support of refugees. Giving them a home is an undeniable assistance but guaranteeing their stay in peace is a greater responsibility. All these distressed, vulnerable people need a place to call home until there is stability in their own country. If Turkey can maintain that home for them, it will be a stable environment for many people, especially innocent children. 

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