Work underway to naturalize some Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Turkey: Erdoğan

ANKARA

AFP photo

The Interior Ministry is working on a program to naturalize some working Syrian and Iraqi refugees with their families, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, adding that Turkey’s hosting of 3 million refugees “necessitates deeper measures.”

“Today, we are hosting over 3 million Syrian and Iraqis. This situation, which was anticipated for a short period at the beginning, necessitated more radical measures over time,” Erdoğan said on Jan. 10, addressing district governors.

“Among these people are many who can make a serious contribution to our country,” he added, reiterating previous comments that the government is planning to naturalize Syrian and Iraqi refugees through their occupation.

“Our Interior Ministry is currently working on giving citizenship to those people along with their families,” Erdoğan said.

He also addressed the rising security threats in Turkey following a string of terror attacks.

“Turkey is under a great attack both internally and externally. These attacks are not because we are a weak country. These attacks are because we are a strong and powerful country,” Erdoğan said.