CHP's Özel urges 'fair burden sharing' in migration crisis

CHP's Özel urges 'fair burden sharing' in migration crisis

RABAT
CHPs Özel urges fair burden sharing in migration crisis

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel on Dec. 21 criticized the international community for failing to support Türkiye in addressing the migration crisis in the Middle East.

 

"While the Middle East constitutes 5.5 percent of the world’s population, 58 percent of the world’s refugees and migrants are in this region. Moreover, Syrian refugees constitute 27 percent of these migrants, and the largest portion of them are in my country, Türkiye," he said at a Socialist International meeting in Morocco's Rabat.

 

It is not possible for Türkiye to ignore migration-related problems, Özel added.

 

"Türkiye is one of the countries that experiences the migration problem the most, and the world avoids treating fairly," he stated. "Our basic expectation and call is to be in solidarity that will share the migration burden fairly."

 

Özel's remarks follow the recent ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which has prompted thousands of refugees to return home from neighboring countries.

 

Hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees, Türkiye has recently expanded its border crossing capacities to accommodate the surge in those seeking to return home.

 

The CHP leader called for the urgent establishment of a democratic regime in Syria that guarantees constitutional rights for all citizens and respects diverse identities and religious beliefs.

 

"Meanwhile, sensitivity must be shown to protect Syria's territorial integrity," he said. "All social democratic parties and governments should support this transition."

 

The Socialist International, an alliance of social democratic and labor parties, accepted Özel’s proposal to hold its next council meeting in Istanbul.