SUNDAY 4 AUGUST 2019Syrian refugees: pawns in
Turkey’s geopolitical game
In his weekly series on the region, Ahmed Aboudouh examines
Erdogan’s two-tone approach to border policy
The future may not be bright for this Syrian family in Istanbul (AFP/Getty)
Turkey is in the middle of a major U-turn on its policy towards Syrian refugees. According to Turkish law,
Syrians need an identity paper called the Temporary Protection Permit (Kimlik), an alternative to the
refugee status documentation. Turkey is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, and the
country of 83 million hosts around 3.6 million Syrian refugees.
Turkey is in the grip of an economic recession. Major cities, especially Istanbul, are witnessing rising
resentment from Turks, who see Syrians taking their jobs and becoming a burden on education and health