Page 243 - A Helping Hand for Refugees

A 72-page report drawn up by one political party in Turkey has
evaluated the impact on Turkey of the crises taking place in Syria and
Iraq. The report says that Turkey has spent $5.5 billion from the public
purse for Syrian refugees. According to the same report, Turkey has
suffered losses of $16.7 billion in four years because of the crises in these
two countries. The figure represents expenditure on Syrian refugees,
potential export losses and decreased tourism revenues. 48

The report evaluates Syrian refugees in strictly economic terms,

and regards it as a serious mistake to admit them. However, it is impos-
sible to consider the Syrian refugees who have come to our doorstep,
fleeing the terrible humanitarian drama and death in Syria, in terms
of statistics and numbers only. The tragedy is a serious one that requires
all people of good conscience to help.

It needs to be made clear that Turkey's hospitable attitude toward
the Syrians is not the result of any domestic policy or sectarian
approach. The greatest proof of that is the fact that Turkey recently
admitted Yazidis fleeing from ISIL and previously, Kurds fleeing from
Saddam Hussein. Turkey's admission of those in need is therefore

nothing new. Similar incidents can be seen in Turkey's more distant
past, as well.
Waves of migration that began with the Crimean Tatars in the 1850s
were followed by people living in the Caucasus, particularly Georgians

and Circassians, as well as people from Dagestan, Chechens and Laz
people moving to Anatolia. The migrations of the Crimean Tatars that
49
occurred when Tsarist Russia seized the Crimea in 1783 represented
the largest wave of migration. Sporadic wars between the Ottoman
Empire and Russia until 1890 were the determining factor in Tatar
migration.

Adnan Oktar (Harun Yahya) 241