Erdogan's Proposed Talks with Assad Raise Concerns Among Syrian Refugees in Turkey

President Erdogan's sudden invitation to Syrian counterpart Assad for talks raises concerns among Syrians in Turkey. Syrians fear being sent back to war-torn Syria or losing Turkish citizenship. Ankara severed relations in 2011 and has supported anti-Assad forces. Refugees fear escalating anti-migrant sentiments and violence.

President Tayyip Erdogan's abrupt proposal to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for discussions has sparked fears among Syrians residing in Turkey about the possibility of deportation, following a recent surge in anti-migrant violence.

Ankara severed diplomatic ties with Damascus in 2011 after the onset of Syria's civil war, and Turkish forces have since supported anti-Assad factions in the north. However, Erdogan has recently emphasized the importance of reconciliation with Syria. On Sunday, he expressed willingness to invite Assad to work on reinstating pre-war relations between the two nations.

Samir Alabdullah from the Harmoon Centre for Contemporary Studies in Istanbul noted concerns that Erdogan might strike a deal with Assad, leading to the repatriation of Syrians to regime-controlled territories. These fears are compounded by the prospect of losing Turkish citizenship, affecting over three million Syrian migrants in Turkey.

Hosting more refugees than any other country, Turkey faces domestic concerns over the permanence of Syrian arrivals. Erdogan has pledged an 'honourable' and 'voluntary' return for most refugees. Ahmad, a 19-year-old Syrian student in Istanbul, mentioned his family's plan to sell their Turkish properties amid recent anti-immigrant unrest, despite holding Turkish citizenship.

In Istanbul's densely-populated Sultanbeyli district, incidents of anti-immigrant violence have surfaced, with attackers targeting Syrian-owned businesses and civilians. Erdogan underscored that public order remains a 'red line' for Turkey, as Syrian refugees express deep anxiety over their safety.

Normalization efforts with Syria face hurdles, particularly Syria's demand for Turkey to withdraw troops from rebel-held regions, a condition Ankara deems unacceptable due to security concerns. The Syrian Network for Human Rights has declared Syria unsafe for the return of refugees.

Despite tougher rhetoric on migrants ahead of last year's elections, Erdogan revealed that 670,000 individuals have returned to northern Syrian settlements, with an anticipated million more expected to return.

(With inputs from agencies.)