ISTANBUL - Nuray ŞimŞek, a member of the IHD delegation who examined the situation of refugees on the border after Idlib attack, said that refugees are stuck between the two countries. Şimşek stressed that the vast majority of refugees fleeing from Turkey are running from racism and exploitation.

 

After 36 TAF soldiers were killed by the Russian and Syrian army in Idlib, Syria, tens of thousands of refugees moved to Edirne border by free buses after President Tayyip Erdogan's statement saying that the supervision at the borders to Europe is cancelled. While the Greek security forces did not allow the refugees who were stacked at the border gate, it was stated that a refugee was shot in the throat yesterday as a result of the intervention. In addition, refugees who cannot cross the border to Europe and want to return are prevented from entering Turkey as well. Refugees are stuck in a barrier zone set up by both sides.

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu who reacted to the refugee policy of Turkey, stating that a humanitarian disaster being experienced at the borders, said: "They used to refer to the approximately 4 million irregular migrants as 'our refugee brothers'. Now the government fills the free buses with these refugees and send them to the borders. They are releasing them from prisons and pile them up near borders. There are tens of thousands of people at the borders. As a result of this,  a negotiation is being made with the western countries over human beings."

 

'THEY ARE USING REFUGEES AS BARGAINING CHIPS'

 

Gergerlioğlu noted that a major humanitarian disaster took place between the borders of Turkey and the western countries, said the refugees are between a rock and a hard place. Gergerlioğlu stating that this shows Turkey's refugee policy clearly, said: "They are being told to go their own way, meanwhile Turkey creates a pressure on the western countries and aim to succeed in Syria with this. They aim to make Europe work in coordination by sending refugees at their borders. Turkey is waging a war in somebody else's country."

 

Nuray Şimşek, a member of the Human Rights Association (İHD) Istanbul Branch, who went to the border as a 3-person delegation on Saturday, told the results of their examination. Expressing that when they reached the border, they encountered a humanitarian drama, Şimşek stated that thousands of people were left at the border hungry and thirsty. Şimşek, stating that the refugees are trying to flee from Turkey because they can't make ends meet, because they are forced to work in bad conditions and because they are not wanted, said: "For example I met a father whose child is sick. He told me whenever he found work, he was sacked because he was Syrian. They told me that they are not wanted here and they can't survive in Turkey. THey told me they would risk their lives to get out. They already ran away from war, now they are running away from racism."