HarekAct offers a topical and chronological collection of news on the EU-Turkish border regime under this section. We link to external newspapers and websites and do not hold the copyright.
Views and opinions expressed in the articles published on HarekAct are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of all editorial board members.
Via Hürriyet Daily News – An autopsy conducted at the Famagusta State Hospital into the recent killing of a Nigerian student in the Turkish Cypriot town of Famagusta has confirmed that he died of a cerebral haemorrhage caused by severe blows to the head.
Kennedy Taomwabwa, 28, who was a student of Eastern Mediterranean University, was reportedly abducted from the city center by a group of eight locals who kidnapped him against his will. Taomwabwa was taken home and killed by the group on Jan. 31, according to police officials. Continue reading Investigation deepens into killing of Nigerian student in Turkish Cyprus→
During summer 2016 the Turkish government first announced to grant Turkish citizenship to some Syrians. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said that the first steps have been taking on providing Turkish citizenship to Syrians. In a first stage 30.000 to 40.000 would be granted citizenship, in a move that could grant a total of 300.000 Syrians citizenship.
Via Al-Monitor– Turkey is rightly commended for hosting over 3 million Syrian refugees fleeing the nearly seven-year-old conflict that continues to wrack their country in new and ghastly iterations. Acts of overt aggression against the “guests,” as Turkey formally labels them, are astonishingly rare. But a new report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) published this week raises alarm bells over their future. Continue reading Hostility toward Syrians could explode in Turkey, ICG warns→
Via AlJazeera– Refugees trying to enter Greece through its northern land border with Turkey have told Al Jazeera they have been threatened and forced to go back, illegal under international humanitarian law.
Via Hürriyet(link in Turkish) – TheRefugee Rights Commission of the Turkish Parliament explains that since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, 276.000 Syrian babies born in Turkey stay in an ‚haymatlos‘[1]status and thus face a risky future with neither Turkish nor Syrian identification papers. By the end of September 2017, the number of Syrian babies born in Turkey was at 276.158 and the details of the report are as follows.
Via AlJazeera– Images capture living conditions the Greek island’s largest camp, home to thousands of refugees and migrants
In March 2016, the European Union and Turkey signed a controversial deal to prevent refugees and migrants from reaching Europe. As part of the agreement, the Greek government confined refugees and migrants to five islands for the duration of their asylum process. Today, it is estimated that more than 7,600 asylum seekers live on Lesbos. Continue reading Rare look at life inside Lesbos’ Moria refugee camp→
Via Hürriyet Daily News– Turkey has the largest refugee population in the world, according to a two-year study conducted by the Turkish Parliament’s Refugee Subcommittee that operates under the Human Rights Committee.
Turkey currently hosts approximately 4.3 million refugees, the report said.
Of the millions taking refuge in Turkey, 3.4 million reside in the country under Turkey’s temporary protection.
The remaining 600,000 refugees have residence permits, the report showed.
Musaferat – a collective active on Lesvos against the deportation practise – published an insightful summary of the events during the last month on Lesvos. From the unbearable living conditions in Moria, iltreatment of minor refugees, deportations and ‘voluntary returns’ and policy violence against protests.
Via euronews(Link in Turkish) –Due to intense bombardment by the Syrian army backed by Iranian and Russian forces in the Syrian cities Hama and Idlib against ISIS, tens of thousands of people abandoned their houses and reached the Turkish border since November 2017.
Via T24 (Link in Turkish) – The Mayor of the Parliamentary Sub-Commission on Refugees and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Antalya Deputy Atay Uslu said that currently 4.3 million migrants live in Turkey. 3.6 million of them are Syrians. There are 300 thousand Iraqis, Palestinians and other international protection seekers living in Turkey. Uslu pointed out that only 3 people hold a refugee status in Turkey.
