Page 91 - A Helping Hand for Refugees

internally displaced within Syria itself while 97% of the 2.5 million
fleeing Syrians have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Among
those neighboring countries, Turkey is the one receiving the highest
number of immigrants.

This is the first time in Turkish history there has been such wide-
scale migration; 1.2 million refugees entered the country in the last three
years. Some 250,000 of the Syrian refugees in Turkey are living in camps,
and the rest are in various cities. That number is expected to reach 1.4

million by the end of 2014.
Looking back in time, we see that Turkish territory has embraced
refugees for hundreds of years. Russians fleeing the Bolshevik revo-

lution in 1917, Jews fleeing Nazi persecution, Armenians, Iranians in
the wake of the 1979 Revolution, Afghans, and Iraqis fleeing Saddam
have all sought shelter in Turkey. The conscience, compassion and hos-
pitality of the Turkish people have always kept the country's doors
opened to the wronged and stranded. Even in times of the worst eco-
nomic suffering, this fine virtue of the country has remained
unchanged.

The hospitality of our country has also been confirmed in the inter-
national arena. The refugee camps in Turkey were described as "per-
fect" by the New York Times. Every official visiting the camps has
expressed great appreciation. As material and logistic support to the

camps continues, better-off refugees are settling in cities. It has been
reported that the number of Syrian immigrants in Istanbul alone has
reached 67,000. However, there are also those not so well-off and living
in poverty in the big cities. Those living in tent cities are facing diffi-
culties like being colder in winter and hotter in summer. They are facing
problems regarding security and infrastructure, food and water diffi-
culties, problems with cleanliness and hygiene. State authorities have

announced that measures will be taken accordingly in line with Turkey's
means.

Adnan Oktar (Harun Yahya) 89