Turkey rejected the allegations by the Amnesty İnternational that Syrian in Turkey were forcibly sent home.
"We reject the allegations in the report published today, October 25, by Amnesty International regarding Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey,” said Hami Aksoy, a spokesman for Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Stressing that Turkey is hosting around 4 million displaced people, over 3,6 million of them being Syrians, who seek refuge in its territories, Aksoy said: "Turkey, at a period when many countries are building walls at their borders and hiding behind barbed wire, opened its doors to those in need."
“While hosting these people in the best manner, we fully respect the principle of non-refoulement in line with our international obligations and there is no change in Turkey’s approach," Aksoy said.
“In this respect, claims in the report that Syrians are forcibly sent back, threatened and subjected to mistreatment are unreal and fictional. Turkish authorities are carrying out the process of safe and voluntary return of Syrians to their country in cooperation with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and non-governmental organizations." Aksoy added.
Noting that Turkey would continue to take the necessary steps to improve the living conditions of Syrians, Aksoy said: “We consider that the international community has an important responsibility in facilitating the process of safe and voluntary return of Syrians.”
ILKHA