Al Jazeera News, Ankara, Turkey :
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 300,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their war-torn country as he revived talk of creating “safe zones” for millions more.
While Turkish officials have not provided details on where the zones would be located or how they would be administered, analysts said it was likely the refugees would be placed in areas of northern Syria under nominal Turkish control. Turkey currently hosts more than 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
Tensions between locals and Syrians have built over the course of the nearly eight-year war, compounded by competition for jobs and resources as Turkey faces recession.
Since it launched the Euphrates Shield military operation in north Syria in August 2016, Ankara has encouraged refugees to remain in camps close to the border – welcoming only the most vulnerable into Turkey.
The operation – and the Olive Branch campaign of last year that saw Turkey seize the Kurdish enclave of Afrin – has left a swathe of Syrian territory under the control of Turkey’s rebel allies.
“After Afrin and other places came under the control of Turkish-supported groups, some Syrians returned to these areas but it’s a controversial issue,” said Nihat Ali Ozcan, an analyst at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey.
“Erdogan insisted that Syrian civilians will return but although this seems a good idea, it could create a huge problem. “The people who lived there originally are very mixed – Kurds, Arabs and so on. I think it will create a huge security concern and could see confrontation between these groups.”
Kamal Alam, a visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said settling people under Turkish authority was a “temporary move before the Syrian government sets things right”.
“That is a long-term problem rather than short-term solution,” said Alam.
In the wake of military incursions, Turkish development agencies have moved into Syria to rebuild the water, transport, and energy infrastructure as well as public services such as schools and hospitals.
Across northern Aleppo province, Turkish investment has provided jobs for locals while municipal councils are run with Turkish support.
Children study Turkish language in school and goods from across the border fill shop shelves. Turkish-trained police officers patrol the streets of cities such as Azaz, al-Bab and Jarabulus.
According to the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, Turkey has spent $33bn on Syrian refugees since the start of the war and anticipates spending a further $8.2bn this year.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 300,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their war-torn country as he revived talk of creating “safe zones” for millions more.
While Turkish officials have not provided details on where the zones would be located or how they would be administered, analysts said it was likely the refugees would be placed in areas of northern Syria under nominal Turkish control. Turkey currently hosts more than 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
Tensions between locals and Syrians have built over the course of the nearly eight-year war, compounded by competition for jobs and resources as Turkey faces recession.
Since it launched the Euphrates Shield military operation in north Syria in August 2016, Ankara has encouraged refugees to remain in camps close to the border – welcoming only the most vulnerable into Turkey.
The operation – and the Olive Branch campaign of last year that saw Turkey seize the Kurdish enclave of Afrin – has left a swathe of Syrian territory under the control of Turkey’s rebel allies.
“After Afrin and other places came under the control of Turkish-supported groups, some Syrians returned to these areas but it’s a controversial issue,” said Nihat Ali Ozcan, an analyst at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey.
“Erdogan insisted that Syrian civilians will return but although this seems a good idea, it could create a huge problem. “The people who lived there originally are very mixed – Kurds, Arabs and so on. I think it will create a huge security concern and could see confrontation between these groups.”
Kamal Alam, a visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said settling people under Turkish authority was a “temporary move before the Syrian government sets things right”.
“That is a long-term problem rather than short-term solution,” said Alam.
In the wake of military incursions, Turkish development agencies have moved into Syria to rebuild the water, transport, and energy infrastructure as well as public services such as schools and hospitals.
Across northern Aleppo province, Turkish investment has provided jobs for locals while municipal councils are run with Turkish support.
Children study Turkish language in school and goods from across the border fill shop shelves. Turkish-trained police officers patrol the streets of cities such as Azaz, al-Bab and Jarabulus.
According to the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, Turkey has spent $33bn on Syrian refugees since the start of the war and anticipates spending a further $8.2bn this year.
