Syrians Refugees Should Become Turkish Citizens

(MENAFNEditorial)Syrians Refugees Should Become Turkish Citizens Harun Yahya The issue of granting citizenship to the Syrians was among the most important topics on the agenda of Turkey in July 2016. The issue had been a subject of heated debate and attracted many comments, when the agenda of Turkey suddenly acquired a new dimension. On the evening of July 15th, 2016, Turkey faced a bloody coup attempt. In the previous February, the issue of citizenship for the Syrians, which had not long been on the agenda, was voiced by President Erdoğan in Bahrain. According to official records, there are 2.8 million Syrians and 300 thousand Iraqis currently harbored in Turkey. This rate elevates Turkey to the title of the country that harbors the most asylum-seekers in the world. The money that the Turkish state has spent for the asylum-seekers, so far is 25 billion dollars. Those who come from Syria are granted the "asylum-seeker" status in Turkey; because, while signing the UN Refugee Convention in 1951, Turkey announced that it would only accept those coming from Europe as refugees according to the circumstances of the time. Although Turkey has mobilized all its means for the Syrians it hosts, the fact that these people does not bear the title of "refugees" deprives them of long-term opportunities such as citizenship, residence and employment. Since the deplorable war in Syria continues in all its ruthlessness, leaving these people homeless, stateless and unsafe, the decision that has just been taken by the Turkish Government is quite accurate. Although the government has stated that the qualified Syrians will be gradually granted citizenship, what should actually be done is to give citizenship to all the Syrians in our country. In this regard, security is of particular concern, and those who will be granted citizenship are required to have no terrorist criminal records and go through security inquiries. After undertaking these inquiries, as brothers and members of the same religion, it is our obligation to make our brothers and sisters, whom we have been hosting for years, citizens of our own country. In response to those who are trying to present the subject of granting citizenship to Syrians as a political issue, government officials have stated that the naturalization process will take place after the Constitutional referendum that will be held in March. Furthermore, the Syrians who are granted citizenship will not be able to vote for one year. Those who have the false pretension that they will suffer from limited amenities along with the Syrians accepted into citizenship are worrying for no reason. Especially with the breakthroughs made in recent years in matters such as welfare and social security, Turkey has proven to be a country that would not let its citizens be aggrieved. No one will lose their jobs, no one will go out of their business, no one will suffer any restrictions on their social and educational rights just because Syrians are granted citizenship. Guests always bring with them abundance. It is likely that the contributions of our Syrian brothers and sisters to the business world in Turkey will further expand trade links and business opportunities with the Islamic world. One should always keep this fact in mind: If any Muslim around the world is experiencing hardship, all Muslims are responsible for the situation he is in. If a fraction of Muslims is in distress, it is the fault of other Muslims who remain silent and fail to unite against this oppression. So, the selfish approach of saying "refugees are not my concern" is a horrific outlook that can pave the way for greater disasters, especially nowadays when the oppression is more prevalent. Turkey should indiscriminately grant Turkish citizenship to "all Syrians" who reside in its soil and do not pose any political and judicial risks. Muslims should raise a protective shield over those in distress. The mechanism that steers the world is not political maneuvering and profit accounts as people assume. The world runs metaphysically. The alliance of good will always prevail; it will always remain strong and powerful. It is our duty to always remember this fact and strive as hard as we can to become one of the good ones. And protecting and looking after the Syrians is an excellent opportunity to that end. *Harun Yahya has authored more than 300 books on politics, religion and science, translated in 73 languages. He may be followed at @Harun_Yahya and www.harunyahya.com

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