İYİ Party leader criticizes govt’s policy on refugees

ANKARA

İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener on March 23 criticized the government’s refugee policy and argued that it paves the way for more arrivals of people fleeing a crisis, while also fueling xenophobia in Turkey.

“[President] Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the only one responsible for the arrival of refugees in this country,” Akşener said, speaking to her lawmakers at the parliament.

“On one side, there is Mr. Crisis [referring to Erdoğan], who calls the country ‘ensar’ [people from Medina who helped immigrated Muslims], turning the country into a passing inn. On the other side, a medieval mind that fuels xenophobia,” she said.

These two “dirty mindsets” are presenting two choices in front of Turkey; either one will be “conscientious, or be unscrupulous, insult and beat refugees,” Akşener added.

The government wants the Turkish people to discuss the refugee problem around these two “shallow” thoughts, Akşener stated.

Akşener also reacted to the investigation launched against Hatay Metropolitan Mayor Lüftü Savaş, who said that the demographic structure of the province had changed. “If you think that you, as the Nation Alliance, can prevent us from telling the truth, you are very wrong,” she added.

The politician also blamed the government for the recent increase in brain drain from Turkey, especially doctors. Akşener argued that Erdoğan “designed the picture on purpose.”

“While our qualified human resources are leaving our country, an unqualified workforce is flocking to our country as much as possible,” she stated.