Syrians in Turkey suffer at hands of “moody” police
ISTANBUL, Turkey (North Press) – A number of Syrian journalists in Turkey have recently described the “moodiness of the Turkish police checkpoints,” and their neglect of the cards they hold which entitle them to walk around during curfews.
A number of Syrians have been exposed to situations in which the police issued offenses against them and forced them to pay a fine estimated of about 3,000 Turkish lira (about $400).
Many of them face economic and living difficulties, in addition to the problems of obtaining identity documents in the midst of instability that prompts them to consider returning to Syria permanently.
A Syrian journalist residing in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep, who preferred not to be named, said that a few days ago, he was issued an offense under the pretext that he did not carry a travel permit while he was traveling from one city to another.
He added that the press card he was carrying, which was issued by the Syrian Journalists Club, did not help in convincing the police checkpoints, who insisted on recording the offense against him and forcing him to pay a fine.
The journalist referred to the clear “moodiness” of the Turkish police and security checkpoints. He was fined under the pretext of not obtaining a travel permit.
The journalist expressed his concerns about the revocation of the Temporary Protection Card (Kimlik) that he carries, which will make him a person residing in Turkish territory without documents.
Others complained about the “bad approach of police checkpoints on the Kilis-Gaziantep highway, which deal in a very bad way with even those who have regular papers.”
A Syrian refugee who works in transporting goods stated that one of the checkpoints forced them to stop for about half an hour because the Turkish driver accompanying him did not carry an identity card.
He added that they were convinced of the matter after a long effort, and they were allowed to pass, noting that all the papers they had were regular, and he also had permission to travel.
“Many Syrian refugees, including journalists, have become vulnerable to violations according to the mood of the security agent, under the pretext of coronavirus,” human rights activist Qays al-Hassan told North Press.
“Whoever is subjected to an offense must address it quickly, for fear of being removed from the identification system and thus risk deportation,” he added.
Al-Hassan pointed out, “It has become very difficult to deal with the mood of the employees or the police, and if the offense is recorded, the other responsible authorities cannot be convinced that it was done unfairly.”
Recently, a well-known Turkish journalist launched an attack against Syrian refugees in Turkey, claiming that they are receiving benefits where Turkish citizens do not.
Hatred and incidents of racism towards Syrian refugees in Turkey have escalated at a time when the authorities are unable to control it, which leads many to think of returning to Syria or immigrating to Europe.
About 4 million Syrians live in Turkey, according to Turkish official statistics.