CHP, ZP agree on bill to tackle illegal migration

ANKARA

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel and Victory Party (ZP) leader Ümit Özdağ convened on July 4 to strategize on a joint legislative initiative aimed at addressing illegal migration.

The leaders agreed during their meeting to introduce a collaborative bill in parliament under the CHP focused on tackling the issue of illegal migrants and asylum seekers.

Key discussions also centered on proposals to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, which mandates the clearance of antipersonnel mines.

The bill will propose empowering military units stationed at Türkiye's borders with broader authority to utilize firearms.

"We presented concrete proposals aimed at legislating measures to curtail illegal migration and asylum seekers," Özdağ said after the meeting at the CHP headquarters.

The ZP leader expressed optimism for ongoing dialogue on the issue.

Türkiye currently leads globally in hosting refugees, according to the latest report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with around 3.6 million refugees primarily from Syria

Özdağ has long argued that this figure is understated.

For his part, Özel affirmed the severity of Türkiye's refugee and irregular migration challenges.

In related diplomatic efforts, he is scheduled to participate in the Socialist International (SI) meeting in the Romanian capital Bucharest on July 6, aiming to mobilize international support for addressing migration issues.

"I have to convey our political will and determination to resolve this issue... to every leader we collaborate with," Özel said.