Hidden facts about Syrian refugees

Dear voter, I wonder if you know this outstanding reality… The prime minister of this country is hiding it from you in rallies…

First reality: As of today, we have 1,758,000 Syrians in our country. This means 3 percent of the population of our country has become Syrian. 

Second reality: Only 10 percent of the Syrians in our country are literate. This means that in the coming years, there will be a workforce as big as an army to replace the lowest paid segment and ready to work for even lower pay. 

Third reality: Half of those who have arrived here are younger than 18 years old. This means that the already high young unemployed population of ours will grow in the coming years. 

Fourth reality: Only 284,000 of the Syrian refugees here live in refugee camps. This means more than 1.5 million Syrians have been scattered to other cities.  

Fifth reality: In the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, 467,000 Syrians have settled; in Istanbul, 330,000; in Gaziantep, 253,000; in Şırnak, 190,000; in Hatay, 204,000; and in İzmir, 100,000 Syrians are living. This means that a very big majority of these people will not go back. 

The citizens who will cast their votes on June 7, do not forget that one of the richest countries in the world, Germany, has accommodated 3 million people from Turkey over the last 50 years and they are still struggling with social issues. Your country has taken nearly 2 million refugees in two years. 

The citizens who will cast their votes on June 7, do not forget that the only reason for this is the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) incorrect Syrian policy. They have segmented a neighboring country as well as created a problem for Turkey that will not be solved for decades.

The person responsible is not saying this at rallies. You should say this at the polls.

This data was compiled from the Hacettepe University’s research in 2014. 

‘Do not research’ order  

Ezgi Başaran from daily Radikal wrote a very important story about five days ago. YÖK, the Higher Education Board, has written to universities, giving them an order that they “Cannot do any research concerning the Syrians in Turkey without asking for our permission first.” 

The full story is on daily Hürriyet’s website. Actually, the original order came from the Interior Ministry, dated April 22, 2015. 

From which scandal, I wonder, should I start? 

Shall I ask first, since when has YÖK been giving orders restricting the freedom of academic research? Or, shall I ask which democratic country’s interior ministry bans universities from conducting research? 

I am asking our prime minister: Is there a reality on the Syrian refugees that you fear could be revealed before the elections?