In some neighborhoods live refugees from 25 different countries
Türkiye It has been the country where Syrians fleeing the civil war have taken refuge since 2011. In addition to the mass migration of Syrians, thousands of Afghans, Pakistanis and citizens of African countries have made Turkey the gateway to their neighbor. The distribution of citizenship in exchange for the acquisition of property has also made Turkey a favorite country for criminal organizations.
While President Tayyip Erdoğan sent a message to the world from the US saying: “We will continue to welcome almost 5 million refugees”, former Istanbul CHP deputy Gürsel Tekin, who has been working on the migration map since 2016, conveyed details surprising.
ITS POPULATION REACHED 20 PERCENT
Only in 10 of Istanbul’s 39 districts and 54 neighborhoods has the foreign population reached 20 percent. A total of 10 districts, including Esenyurt, Küçükçekmece, Başakşehir, Bağcılar, Avcılar, Bahçelievler, Sultangazi, Esenler, Zeytinburnu and Fatih, and 54 neighborhoods where the foreign population reaches 20 percent of the population of Turkish citizens are closed to registration of foreign. According to official figures, 1 million 200 thousand foreigners live in Istanbul, one of the most populated cities in the world, with a population of 16 million. When illegal immigrants are added, the number exceeds 2 million. Tekin gave the following details on the subject:
AS MUCH AS THE POPULATION OF A COUNTRY IN EUROPE: According to official figures, 1.2 million foreigners live in Istanbul, a megacity of 16 million inhabitants. When illegal immigrants are added, the number exceeds 2 million.
■ Most of the refugees are in the Esenyurt district. Since Esenyurt has industrial density, the population accumulated there. There are between 200 and 250 thousand people from different countries… There are serious public order problems.
■ Fatih and Zeytinburnu districts also have a large refugee population and work intensively in the service sector. Refugees from 20 to 25 different countries live in some neighborhoods of Fatih. There are serious problems here too.
■ A large number of refugees work in the textile industry in Merter, Bahçelievler and Sultangazi. Wherever there is a concentration of refugees, wherever different nationalities live in the same neighborhood, there are many problems. There are serious sociological problems, problems that arise from differences. Of course, there will be problems in a place where citizens of 10 to 12 different countries live.
■ Istanbul is really troublesome and hectic. We see the measures taken by the police, but this is not a problem that can be solved with security measures alone. There are many problems and problems in Istanbul, but there is no solution at the moment.
Türkiye IS A TRANSITION COUNTRY FOR AFRICANS: Türkiye is a transit country for African refugees. Every year, thousands of Africans arrive in Turkey by boat to reach Europe through the Mediterranean.
AFRICAN MARKET IN FATIH
The demographics have completely changed in many districts of Istanbul. Africans, Arabs and Uzbeks live densely in Aksaray. Almost all the inhabitants of the neighborhood, from porters to merchants, from shop workers to beggars, are foreign citizens. In the district where it is almost impossible to see a Turkish citizen, the shop signs are not in Turkish.
The African Market, located on the ground floor of a historic business center in Fatih, frequently appears on social media. Turkish and African merchants sell together in the market, where you can find fruits, vegetables, legumes and snacks brought from Africa, anything you want. Most of the traders and customers are African and speak their own language.