Turkey closes its neighborhoods to Syrians, other foreign nationals
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Turkey’s Directorate General of Migration Management announced Saturday closing hundreds of neighborhoods to Syrians and other foreigners in its various states, in order to control their numbers in Turkish cities and towns, and to prevent their gathering in specific areas.
A prior decision specified that the ratio of foreign nationals to the overall number of Turkish people must not exceed 25%. However, the Migration Management announced that starting on July 1; this rate would be reduced to 20%.
In mid-February, Turkish Minister of Interior Suleiman Soylu revealed that the ministry had approved the “mitigation” project, which aims to reduce the population density of Syrians and other foreign residents in some Turkish neighborhoods and states.
Syrian refugees in Turkey are living in constant anxiety and fear of deportation, with Turkish statements ramping up about returning them to Syria within the safe zone that Turkey seeks to establish.
A previous announcement made by the Ministry of the Interior back in June stated that a total of 781 neighborhoods throughout 54 provinces will be off-limits to people from other countries.
On May 6, Soylu said that Turkey has prepared 13 projects that include the construction of 250,000 housing units in the areas occupied by Turkey and the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces in Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), Tel Abyad, Jarabulus and al-Bab.
Soylu’s words came after the Turkish President Recap Tayyip Erdogan announced on May 3 a project of establishing settlements in the Turkish-run areas in Syria to deport about one million Syrian refugees.
The Migration Management noted that starting from July 1; the closed neighborhoods have increased to 1.169 in different Turkish areas.