We will return Syrians in Turkey back home: Turkish main opposition

Turkey’s main opposition leader on Tuesday said if his party comes to power, they would return Syrians now living in Turkey back to their home country, Anadolu Agency reported.

“With the permission of Allah, and the appreciation of the nation, when we come to power, one of the first things we will do will be to send brotherly Syrians (living in Turkey) back to Syria,” Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP), told his party’s parliamentary group.

Kilicdaroglu said that the European Union would finance this return, without citing any evidence.

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In fact, under a 2016 deal with Turkey on immigration, the EU provided funds to support Syrian refugees living in Turkey – now numbering about 4 million, more than any country in the world. An update to the 2016 deal is widely expected.

Kilicdaroglu also said when they come to power, they would provide peace in neighboring Syria.

“We will provide peace throughout the Middle East … this is my promise,” he added.

Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million remain displaced, according to UN estimates.