Via Syria Untold – The legal status of Syrians seeking asylum in Turkey is extremely precarious, despite Turkey being a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, and host to the largest number of Syrian refugees. This can be attributed to Turkey’s Temporary Protection Regulation, which does not grant them full refugee status, and the 2015 deal with the European Union. Continue reading Turkey Targets INGO Workers and Foreign University Staff, Students
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.
Turkey receives high tech SAR vessels from IOM
According to IOM the Turkish Coastguard received two high-tech search and rescue vessels, and will receive four more until the end of the year funded by the European Union. The vessels are part of a 20.000.000 EUR agreement between the EU and IOM, who will deliver the boats to the Turkish CG and additionally will offer trainings and support.
While HarekAct generally supports the idea of rescue missions, it is very important to stress that IOM – acting as a service partner for the EU – is again using the narrative of saving lives. Instead of giving those vessels to organizations specialized on rescue mission that operate from the Greek islands, the aim of the cooperation is obviously to increase the capacities of the Turkish border control and thereby to prevent more refugees from crossing to Greece.
More lives will be saved thru a joint EU-IOM project providing new, hightech search&rescue boats to the TRCoastGuard https://t.co/lAZDVBqDPV pic.twitter.com/hhJ80vP6pW
— IOM Türkiye (@IOMTurkiye) June 19, 2017
Read the IOM press statement with further information here
Syrian refugees in Turkey return home for holidays
Via Al-Monitor – Thousands of Syrian refugees in Turkey have rushed since June 1 to the Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salam crossings on the Turkish-Syrian border to spend the Eid al-Fitr holiday in their homeland. The dates of the holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan, vary by location and Islamic sect. This year it will begin June 25 or 26. Continue reading Syrian refugees in Turkey return home for holidays
Syrian acquitted for deaths of refugees in Farmakonisi case!
Via Refugee Support Aegean – The Felony Appeal Court of Dodecanese in Rhodes decided yesterday that the young Syrian – sentenced initially to 25 years imprisonment (sentence to be served) in the Farmakonisi case – was guilty of the transportation of the refugees for being in command of the boat sailing towards Greece. The court acquitted him for the risk to life and the deaths of the passengers of the vessel that sunk on 20.01.2014 off the coast of Farmakonisi causing the death of 12 people including eight children for which he was sentenced on first instance. Continue reading Syrian acquitted for deaths of refugees in Farmakonisi case!
Greece urged to not send refugees back to Turkey
Via AlJazeera – Video: Refugee advocates are hoping Greece’s supreme court will stop people who have lost their asylum claims from being returned to Turkey, which is not deemed safe for many migrants and refugees. Greece is one of the countries dealing with a large number of refugees arriving on its shores. As a result, support services from all over the world have set up base on the tiny island of Lesvos.
To watch the short video, continue here
Evaluation of one year of the EU-Turkey Readmission Deal
The shameful anniversary of the EU-Turkey Deal happened a few month back and we re-posted some reports and statement by migrant solidarity groups and human rights organizations. Though not the statement from Halkarın Köprüsü, which we therefore published today: Continue reading Evaluation of one year of the EU-Turkey Readmission Deal
Abandoned and abused: the forgotten Syrian refugee children on a Greek detention island
Where an Influx of Syrians Is Remaking Turkey
The New York Times published an interesting photo-reportage about the life of Syrian refugees at the Turkish border regions to Syria.
“Life seems to be getting back to normal. But under the surface, the war ripples on. Nearly every family has someone who has disappeared, been tortured, is fighting or has died.”
Continue to the photo-reportage here
Syrian girls forced into child marriage in exchange of 5.000 TL
Via Birgun (Link in Turkish) – Ankara representatives of the Association of ‘The United Turkmens of Syria’ are marrying off young girls of families that applied for help in exchange of 5.000 TL while they are lying about the real age of the girls. According to statements of the witnesses more than 300 refugee girls were forced into marriage by the association.
Read the full article in Turkish here.
Call For Immediate Release Of Taner Kılıç, Human Rights Defender And Member Of Kayiki
Via Kayiki – On June 6, 2017 Taner Kılıç, devoted lawyer, chair of Amnesty International Turkey founding member of Mülteci-Der and a member of Kayiki network, has been detained in Izmir, Turkey.
We, members of Kayiki, call for his immediate and unconditional release and suspension of all charges. The accusations brought against Mr. Kılıç are vague and non-evidence based. Continue reading Call For Immediate Release Of Taner Kılıç, Human Rights Defender And Member Of Kayiki