Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in Turkey have signed up for the “Caravan of Light” initiative and are waiting to be given the go-ahead to start marching towards Europe: survival anxiety or Ankara’s finger, Arab media wonder.
Thousands of Syrian refugees in Turkey are preparing to leave for Europe in a mass march as part of a social media campaign called “The Caravan of Light” (Al Noor Caravan), Arab and Western media outlets, including the French Agency.
According to the campaign’s Telegram app, the number of those who have signed up has exceeded 40,000 and the convoy is expected to leave for Europe in the next few hours or days.
Syrians preparing to join the march are calling on humanitarian organizations and the media to support and help them to facilitate their safe passage to Europe.
They report that they took this initiative because of the deterioration of their living conditions in Turkey and the intensifying racism against them, in addition to deportation campaigns and decisions that limit their lives.
They also believe that the military operation decided by Ankara in northern Syria and its attempt to “reconcile” it with Damascus, aims to create a “safe” area for the settlement of Syrian refugees and their expulsion from Turkey.
But is the “Caravan of Light” one of the consequences of Turkey’s decision to normalize relations with Syria or is Ankara acting as a provocateur manipulating the Syrian refugee crisis in order to gain some influence in its negotiations with the European Union, but also regarding the victory of the ruling party in the upcoming elections?
The recent Turkish statements about a possible political understanding between Ankara and Damascus have affected the Syrian refugees living in Turkey, prompting a large number of them to consider going to Europe, especially since the Turkish opposition parties do not accept them and are investing in their removal in view of the elections, beyond the limitations that have been imposed on them at a practical level.
Refugee researcher Lina al-Zoubi says a dramatic scenario related to refugee survival issues is unfolding, especially after Ankara expressed its desire to relocate more than two million refugees before the 2023 elections, and that number is impossible to accommodate in northern Syria.
According to the researcher, the presence of approximately 3,700,000 Syrian refugees living in Turkey cultivated the perception in the electorate that it imposed heavy costs on the country’s economy, which led to the social problems that arose in Turkish cities, the measures against them and some conflicts that resulted in killings.
Also, housing, education and the granting of the right to citizenship are among the serious issues that have been raised in Turkish society in recent years.
Nevertheless, Turkish think tanks estimate that there are several reasons for Ankara’s policy change towards Syria, including the date of presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey in 2023, as the Justice and Development Party and Erdogan are in power. for almost 20 years, and of course their popularity has shrunk, so there is a fear expressed among themselves that they will not be able to win the elections.
For this reason, the Turkish government is softening, changing its policy towards Syria.
The organizers of the “Caravan of Light” march emphasize that the reason they took this initiative is due to the suffering of the Syrians in Turkey due to the murders, as a result of the racist speech against them, which intensified in the last period, in addition to the difficult living conditions and the Turkish shift towards a political solution in Syria.
Large groups of Syrian refugees in Turkey are forming a march to go to the European Union, organizers had announced on Saturday.
They say the march will be divided into groups of 50 people and invite people to bring sleeping bags, tents, life vests, water, cans and first aid kits.
“We will announce the start of the march when it is time to leave,” one of the organizers, a 46-year-old refugee, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
“We have been in Turkey for 10 years,” said one of the people responsible for this initiative on Telegram.
“We are protected, but Western countries will have to share the burden,” he added.
In February and March 2020, tens of thousands of migrants headed to the land border between Turkey and Greece after Erdogan threatened to keep the border with Europe open.
