CHP chair vows return of Syrian refugees in 2 years once in power

ANKARA

Syrian migrants will voluntarily return to their homeland in two years after the main opposition Republic People’s Party comes to power, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the party leader, has said.

“We will see our Syrian brothers off in two years at the latest with a flourish of trumpets. We will ask them to go to their country by their own will,” Kılıçdaroğlu told at a meeting for the launch of Hatay EXPO in Ankara on Jan. 17. Hatay is a southern town bordering Syria and hosting the most Syrian refugees in Turkey.

There are 900,000 Syrians in Hatay, Kılıçdaroğlu said, adding this was adding a huge burden on the city, which was once one of the richest cradles of civilization.

“They sure want to go to their country and work on their own lands. They will ask the life and property security, as well. We will create the infrastructure for this. You will see, Hatay will return to its good times,” he stated.

Turkey hosts around 5 million refugees, of which some 3.6 million are Syrians.

CHP promises to establish Climate Ministry

Meanwhile, Kılıçdaroğlu vowed to create the Climate Ministry to deal with the environmental problems of Turkey once his party comes to power in the upcoming elections.

“Under the power of the Nation Alliance, we will establish the Climate Ministry, which will coordinate the conservation and restoration of the natural ecosystem,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in a letter he wrote to the youth over the weekend. The CHP is the biggest component of the oppositional Nation Alliance that includes the İYİ (Good) Party, the Democrat Party and the Felicity Party.

Pointing out that the world is facing ecological destruction and rapidly moving away from being livable, Kılıçdaroğlu said their policies to make Turkey more livable with an international determination are ready.
“As in every field, we will ensure justice in climate, nature, ecosystem, water, agriculture, urban and rural life. We will not build dams, build roads, or create obstacles against thousands of years of ancient justice of the environment,” the letter read.

The ministry to be established by the Nation Alliance government will largely be administered by today’s young people, he said. “Let’s turn the most beautiful planet known in the universe back into a healthy blue sphere, together with you, the youth of today, and for your children. Let’s start with Turkey. Let’s save the ecological future of our country and the world. We can succeed, we can change the future,” Kılıçdaroğlu added.

The environmental policy of the CHP will evaluate surface resources in accordance with ecological limits and conditions, is democratic in decision-making processes, and is open to the direct control and participation of young people, he noted.