Abstract
Research studies about how Turkish public opinion perceives refugees reveal that while refugees may be seen initially as innocent people in dire need of temporary protection, this perception shifts once it becomes evident that their plight could become a permanent situation. The involvement of Syrian refugees in various types of violence, including terrorist acts, gave rise to strong resistance to their presence in Turkey. In addition to the critical discourse of opposition parties and media, the ambivalent messaging of the ruling Justice and Development (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi - AKP) in the media worsened the general perception of refugees and their relationship to Turkish Society in a manner threatening to stability in Turkey. To ensure a more peaceful life in Turkey, policies that are healthier and more cohesive need to be adopted in order that Syrian refugees can be integrated into the nation's cultural and social life.
TopIntroduction
Since 2011, issues related to the plight and presence of Syrian refugees has become a reality in and for Turkey (Dal, 2013). The combination of legal and illegal entrants to Turkey has added to the complexity of the issue. In the early phases of the refugee crisis, Turkey followed an open-door policy, welcoming the refugees within its borders. However, that policy has since shifted. Turkey’s changed behaviour is evident in the ambivalent official discourses that have ensued and in such measures as the construction of a concrete wall along the country’s 822-km-long border with Syria, the increased number of security force personnel deployed at entry points plus the increase in observation and measurement filters now to be found in refugee camps. All of the foregoing attests to how Turkey now views the refugees as constituting a threat (Dilek, 2018). The central question examined by this study is what brought about this change in perception. In examining various related socio-political issues, the study pay particular attention to the role media may have played in contributing to the perception of Syrian refugees as ‘‘terrorists’’ (Betts, 2009; Dilek, 2018).
The study’s hypothesis argues that in order to adequately understand the refugee crisis, it is important to address how the issue of the language used by political actors and the media concerning refugees can and does raise the level of threat perception directed at refugees. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent takeover of the Taliban having triggered a new refugee crisis from Afghanistan, makes it all the more important to derive lessons how how the discourse of the media worsened the relationship between Syrian refugees and Turkish people. Given this aim, subsequent sections explain the type of problems experienced between the refugees and the indigenous people of hosting countries and then examine the role played by the media in demonising the image and worsening the conditions experienced by Syrian refugees in Turkey. The study’s findings include recommendations that the political discourse should avoid manipulating the refugee issue as a means of threatening the European Union (the EU) or as an incitement intended to extend influence in the context of domestic politics (Betts, 2009; Chimni, 1998). Furthermore, the study concludes that the media should at all times avoid inflammatory language and ensure its coverage shows due respect for the innocence and humanitarian rights of the refugees.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Syrian Refugees: Are vulnerable and innocent people whose lives could be at risk if deported or returned to the country and conditions they were compelled to flee from in the first place. The obligation to protect their lives and ensure their rights of access to social services and acceptance in the hosting country is a matter of international responsibility. Syrian refugees are linked with terrorism, an issue which plays a significant role in the security perception of Turkish people as well as European people and thus determines the policies and the relations between both of them.
Language of Media and Political Discourse: Plays a significant role in shaping the perception of Syrian refugees in Turkey as terrorists. Alarmist discourses manipulate the refugees’ presence in Turkey in order to gain advantage in the context of domestic politics or to enhance bargaining power in terms of foreign policy.
Justice and Development (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi – AKP): In the media preferred an ambivalent discourse regarding refugees which followed the shifting perceptions of Turkish people who are voters.
Turkish Society: Plays important role in the issue as being directly influenced by the presence of Syrians. The issue gave rise to strong resistance among Turkish people regarding presence of approximately five million Syrians in Turkey that caused cultural, economic, and structural problems.
Turkish Public Opinion: Has become a very important determinant for the AKP’s policy decision since the latter’s number of seats depends on the perception and satisfaction of Turkish people.
Opposition Parties: Are preferring a critical discourse which worsened the general perception of refugees and their relationship to Turkish Society in a manner threatening to stability in Turkey.
Turkey: A country at the crossroads between the East and West has found itself at the margins of the European normative order, yet also position itself as a protector of common European borders, and ‘European civilization’ as such, against mass influx of refugees.