Watan-The community association that organizes workshops and consultations for refugees knows that Rahsa Mehrouz (16 years old) will not be able to continue her music lessons in Aleppo after having started them in Ankara.
“No Connections”
While her parents decided to return to Aleppo, she says regretfully, “All my memories and habits are here. There is nothing there—no electricity or internet even. I don’t want to leave, but my family has decided.”
The association’s director, Ibrahim Furqan Kavlak, explains, “Among the 2.9 million Syrians in Turkey, there are 1.7 million under the age of 18.” He adds that “most of them do not have emotional, psychological, or social ties with Syria,” noting that “their ideas about Syria are based on what their families have told them.”
On the other hand, Murat Erdogan highlights another aspect of the dilemma faced by Syrians in Turkey if they decide to return to their homeland: “About 816,000 Syrian children are receiving their education in Turkey in the Turkish language.”
Uncertainty
During her visit to Turkey last Tuesday as part of a regional tour, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said she understands “the uncertainty felt by refugees.”
She explained to AFP, “The situation is unstable, it is changing, and no one knows how it will develop.” She added, “I brought aid worth 235 million euros for Syrian refugees, in Syria and neighboring countries, including Turkey and Jordan. I came to meet them, understand their concerns, and figure out how to respond to them.”
On the other hand, the possibility of large numbers of Syrian refugees leaving raises concerns in sectors where they often work for low wages or illegally, such as textiles and construction.
However, Murat Erdogan notes that the shock that the Turkish economy may experience if large numbers of Syrians leave could signal the end of “the exploitation of this cheap labor force,” which would be beneficial for Turkey. He says, “We cannot continue with a labor model based on exploitation.”
On December 8, 2024, Syrian factions extended their control over the capital, Damascus, after taking over other cities, ending 61 years of the bloody Baath Party regime and 53 years of Assad family rule.
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