'Europe can learn lessons from Turkey on handling refugee crisis'

'Turkey's success without support is unique'

Europe can learn lessons from Turkey on how to humanely handle the refugee crisis triggered by the Ukraine-Russia war, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said Friday.

Altun has written an op-ed titled "What Can Turkey Teach Europe About the Refugee Crisis?" as a guest writer for Al-Jazeera English online, Qazet.az reports.

"As it contemplates how to handle this humanitarian crisis, Europe can turn to Turkey for some lessons. After all, Turkey has been handling refugee waves from the Middle East efficiently and humanely for many years, while most European nations were inflicting additional suffering on vulnerable victims of conflict with their 'security-first' asylum policies," Altun said in the article.

"The time has come for Europe to create a humane environment where refugees are embraced regardless of where they come from. A serious and sustained diplomatic commitment to ending the conflict as soon as possible is also essential," he said.

Altun emphasized that Turkey's experience in dealing with the humanitarian consequences of the Syrian conflict transcends that of all parties concerned about the consequences of the war in Ukraine.

"A serious and sustained diplomatic commitment to ending the conflict as soon as possible is also essential," he added.

Highlighting that in just four weeks, nearly 3.5 million Ukrainians sought refuge in neighboring countries, Altun said Europe has a lot to learn from Turkey as it copes with the current humanitarian crisis. Reiterating that Turkey has been the primary destination for refugees fleeing the war in Syria for over 10 years, Altun said the country currently hosts over 4 million refugees from various countries, primarily Syrians. Noting that Turkey has always treated refugees humanely and with respect, Altun said that they have been embraced by the Turkish people.

"Unlike in Europe, where many politicians routinely resort to anti-immigration rhetoric for quick political gain, the Turkish leadership consistently resisted attempts by the domestic opposition to stoke anti-refugee sentiment in the country," writes Altun, adding that Turkey refused to scapegoat the refugees despite numerous terrorist attacks.

Pointing out that the Turkish government is transparent about why and how it accepts refugees into the country, Altun emphasized that the Turkish people have been aware of the dynamics of the conflict in Syria from the very beginning. Stating that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan informed the public about the conditions in Syria, Altun underlined that the government does not allow far-right populism and anti-refugee political activism to rise in Turkey.

"Turkish nongovernmental organizations have provided the most needed assistance to civilians in Syria, both within and across Turkey's borders, significantly reducing the burden on the state," he added.

Stating that Turkey has never discriminated against refugees based on ethnic origin, religion or gender, Altun said, "We open our arms to all Syrians trying to escape the war. Our country has been a safe haven for Arabs fleeing the Assad regime, Kurds fleeing Daesh, and Turkmens persecuted and exiled by the YPG (PKK's Syrian offshoot)," he said.