Mixed feelings about Syrian refugees
Being deprived of your home, your country and worse, from your future is the biggest tragedy in the world. Our daily problems with money, work, love, and demands for freedom or concerns about politics remain a luxury next to this.
We need to provide a basic life standard and, more importantly, a plan for the future to the desperate Syrians that have migrated to our lands. How long will they stay? Will they remain here? If so where will they live? How will they be fed, will their children be able to receive education? What are their rights? Are they just visitors? Will they be adopted by this country, will they be slaves?
The answers to these questions are important. Not only because of the feelings of love, mercy and pity we have for neighbors that are in difficult times. First, because of these people’s human rights. Health issues, education and food; who is taking care of that?
Second, because our rights to citizenship dictates it. People have started to complain. Cheap and unregistered labor creates anger in a country where there is ample unemployment. Some shopkeepers are angry that some Syrians open a shop, but don’t pay taxes; they complain that they receive special treatment.
Security problems have risen. There are many Syrian migrants that are involved in crimes like prostitution, theft and drugs. They are not bad people, they are just desperate. A hungry person away from home and has nothing to lose can resort to all sorts of ways. What are we expecting these desperate youth to become? Doctors, engineers, astronauts?
Worse is coming. What will the neighbors do if these people without a future start threatening the environment more? News about fighting erupting between Turks and Syrians has already started to appear. I fear gang and street fights are at our doors in the big cities.
We have a problem. But what is our plan?
Breaking News!!!
The reason I chose to give a magazine-like title to this article is because I had to catch the people’s attention. Otherwise, articles like these that carry international art success news, could easily be wiped aside by stories like political issues and magazine news.
Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s film, “Kış Uykusu” (Winter Sleep) has been nominated for an Oscar. This is something we all know.
In addition, the director we all admire, who is also of Turkish origin, Fatih Akın’s film “The Cut” is also a nominee in the Venice Film Festivals contest part this yea. Bartu Küçükçağlayan, a young Turkish actor, is also starring in this movie. This is another piece of news most of us are aware of.
However… There is good news that only a few people know: A Turkish film has been nominated for the Venice Film Festivals contest part. Turkish director, Kaan Müjdeci’s movie “Sivas.” Sivas is the story of an 11-year-old boy and his injured fighter dog’s days in the steppe. This is the 34-year-old Turkish director’s first movie!
It is one of the strong candidates both in the Lion of the Future Award for a debut film contest part and the main contest in the Venice Film Festival!
It is unknown who is going to get the Lion of the Future Award on Sept. 6 at the Venice Film Festival, but it will be an exciting day for all of the Turkish cinema lovers. It is worth a watch.
