Category Archives: News Digest

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.

News Digest

The Desire to Unlearn: Being a Nigerian Student in Northern Cyprus

Chigozie Obioma has narrated his experiences as a Nigerian student in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for the Paris Review . His experiences vary from the solidarity they build with the compatriots to cope with daily discrimination, to the differences in food culture, but most importantly about the daily racist and humiliating treatment people face being a black young adult in Northern Cyprus.

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, image from Wikimedia Commons

Via the Paris Review – “As a Nigerian young adult traveling abroad for the first time, the thrill I experienced was, at first, intoxicating.(…) My visa application to the UK had been rejected, and so I found my new destination, a university in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It was a nation few people seemed to know much about.”

Read the full article at the Paris Review

News Digest

Turkey pledges to enter Syria so refugees can return

Al Monitor on Turkey’s plans of creating a safe zone along its border with Syria, which according to the Turkish President would allow millions of Syrians to ‘return home’. Frustrated by the slow process, Erdogan signaled that Turkey would proceed with their plans even without the involvement of the US and Russia.

Via Al Monitor – “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his pledge to launch a military offensive in northern Syria, saying on Monday that his military aims to create a safe zone in the area so that the 4 million or so Syrian refugees sheltering in Turkey can return home.”

Read the full article at Al Monitor

News Digest

Representation of Refugees in the Media in the AKP Era

Gece sokakta Suriyeli avına çıkıldı

Via Hâlâ Gazeteciyiz – This Study by Funda Cantek and Cavidan Soykan traces notions as movement of Turkey-bound migration, the conditions of migrants who have settled in various cities in Turkey temporarily or permanently and their relationship with the local inhabitants, Turkey’s migration policy, and incidents in which migrants were presented as victims or perpetrators by browsing the dailies Sözcü, Hürriyet and Yeni Akit from the beginning of AKP rule in 2002 up to now.

The Turkish version is available here.

Continue reading Representation of Refugees in the Media in the AKP Era →
News Digest

A Syrian family was attacked in Gaziantep: 1 child lost his life

A syrian family living in Gaziantep’ was attacked at home by unknown people. While mother and her two children got heavily injured, 15 year old Hanen Elalevi lost his life. The incidence took place at Vatan neighborhood of Gaziantep, the family members were found by the father being hit with a heavy object to their heads.

photo: Duvar

Read the full article in Turkish via Duvar

News Digest

Police raped an uzbek woman in istanbul, she was refused to denounce the case at the station

According to public prosecutor of Istanbul’s indictment, on 15 of October, a taxi carrying the 27 year-old Uzbek woman was stopped by police officers Ş.Ş and İ.K. Afterwards she was taken in the police car, detained for 3-4 hours in the car, raped by the officer Ş.Ş, her 1400 turkish liras were seized and finally dropped at Yedikule area.

Afterwards when she went to the police station in Aksaray in order to denounce the case she was returned by the officer Y.S who said “He is already regretful like a dog, I’ll give him the necessary punishment. Now you go and take a shower, take a good rest, and forget about these, won’t worry”

Polis otosunda tecavüz
photo: DHA

The next day, a friend of the rape victim went to police station and other police officers who were informed by the case brought the complaint to public prosecution. on 17th of October, police officers Ş.Ş and İ.K were arrested, other three officers who did not take legal actions on the complaint were released.

Read the full article in Turkish at Sputnik News

News Digest

five syrian workers died in Ankara furniture workshop fire

source: Hürriyet Daily News

Via Hürriyet Daily News

Five Syrian workers were killed in the fire that erupted in the four-story furniture workshop at an Ankara shopping market on Jan. 16.

Their death was reported to be caused by smoke inhalation after they went to the upper floors of the workshop to escape the fire that erupted on the second floor.

Continue reading five syrian workers died in Ankara furniture workshop fire →
News Digest

Refugee arrivals to cyprus and evros from Turkey

Via Ekathimerini

Despite the cold weather and poor conditions at sea, increasing number of refugees who left Turkey could reach to Greece. Ekathimerini reported the arrivals in Cyrpus and Evros subsequently. With the higher number of arrivals from Turkey to Cyprus, an apparent shift was addressed from recent arrivals that came from Lebanon. Moreover, an increase at the arrivals through Evros was identified both in comparison to last year and concerning the higher number of Turkish nationals seeking asylum.

source: Ekathimerini

On 8th of January, Ekathimerini reported that a total of 31 Syrian refugees managed to reach Cyprus on early morning, despite very cold weather and poor conditions at sea.

Continue reading Refugee arrivals to cyprus and evros from Turkey →
News Digest

46 migrants rescued, one girl dead in Aegean Sea: Father claims push-back

On 15th January, Turkish Coastguard has rescued 46 migrants in the Aegean Sea while recovering one body, off the southwestern Kuşadası district close to Greek island of Samos. Father of the 4-years-old girl who died at the shipwreck claimed that the Greek Coastguard pushed back their boat: “It was so inhumane. They tried to kill us”

Muhammed Fadil, one of the 46 survivors of the January 15 shipwreck in the Aegean Sea, lost his daughter in the accident | Photo: Picture-alliance/Ibrahim Uzun/Anadolu Agency

Via InfoMigrants – The Turkish coastguard has reportedly rescued 46 migrants from a sinking rubber boat in the Aegean Sea. The body of a young girl was recovered.

Continue reading 46 migrants rescued, one girl dead in Aegean Sea: Father claims push-back →
News Digest

Oxfam condemns EU over ‘inhumane’ Lesbos refugee camp

Via The Guardian – Violence so bad that women wear nappies at night to avoid leaving tents, report says.

A child at the Moria refugee camp on Lesbos
About 5,000 people live in the Moria camp, where temperatures in winter can fall below freezing. Photograph: Giorgos Moutafis/Oxfam

The EU has been strongly criticised over conditions in Greece’s largest refugee camp, where Oxfam reported women are wearing nappies at night for fear of leaving their tents to go to the toilet.

The British-based NGO described the increasingly dangerous state of the EU-sponsored Moria camp on the island of Lesbos, where a 24-year-old man from Cameroon was found dead in the early hours of Tuesday as temperatures fell below freezing.

Continue reading Oxfam condemns EU over ‘inhumane’ Lesbos refugee camp →
News Digest

Istanbul’s African migrants looking to go pro in football

Daily Sabah reports on a newly established African football club in Avcılar district of Istanbul. Although the report fails to give valid sources on the intensity or the increase of the number of African migrants who live in Istanbul, here we post it in order to make the African football players in Istanbul visible.

Daily Sabah: Players train at a stadium in Istanbul’s Avcılar every week

Via Daily Sabah

Konviction Rüya Spor, made up of amateur African players living in Istanbul, aims to be first professional football club of its kind after getting their license from Turkish officials. If approved, it will revive hopes for players who had originally come to Turkey to play in professional leagues.

In a small stadium in Avcılar, a district on Istanbul’s European side known for a sizable community of African migrants, 32 players from Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Liberia, Ivory Coast and other countries come together a few days every week for a strict training session. Some are university students and others work at odd jobs but all share a passion for football.

Continue reading Istanbul’s African migrants looking to go pro in football →