At the exhibition event organized by İGAM on June 17 at the Ankara Art and Sculpture Museum for World Refugee Day on June 20, İGAM President Metin Çorabatır delivered the opening speech:
Dear Guests, Distinguished Representatives of the United Nations and the European Union, Esteemed Representatives of Donor Countries, Civil Society Organizations, TMK, Academic Friends, Dear Refugee Friends, Respected Artists Who Have Supported Us with Their Works, and Esteemed Members of the Press…
Welcome to our World Refugee Day event. Thank you very much for your participation.
As seen in the United Nations’ “Global Trends 2024 Report,” the number of refugees in the world continues to increase. The number of displaced persons globally rose by 7% in 2024, reaching 123 million.
Alongside this reality, the developments that took place in Syria on December 8, 2024, have opened the door to the possibility of a large-scale voluntary return. According to the latest statements, the number of returnees from Turkey has reached 273,000 so far.
Although it is still very early, in rapid interviews we conducted at border crossings earlier this week with individuals arriving to return, we observed a significant increase in numbers following the end of the school year.
On the other hand, 2.6 million refugees are still struggling to make a decision about returning. The ongoing political and security uncertainties and economic devastation in Syria are delaying return decisions.
After decades of dictatorship, the past 14 years of civil war and the unprecedented violence perpetrated by the regime have made it clear that establishing a new and democratic Syria will, undoubtedly, be a very difficult and lengthy process.
During this period, it is natural that a significant number of refugees will continue to live in Turkey and other countries neighboring Syria. It is encouraging that the Turkish government has announced that refugees may continue to stay in the country for as long as they wish and that there will be no pressure for forced return.
It is assumed that, for an indefinite period ahead, millions of Syrian refugees will remain in Turkey. The experiences of the past 14 years in Turkey must inform the planning for the period to come.
A protection system has emerged in Turkey for Syrians, albeit not very strong. The Law on Foreigners and International Protection, which came into force in 2014, along with the Temporary Protection Regulation published in the same year, laid the foundation for this protection. However, the experiences of Syrian refugees have also brought poverty, fear for the future, discrimination, and humiliation.
We believe that we must seek ways to build a better protection system—not only for those Syrians who will remain but for all asylum seekers—beyond temporary protection or the current framework of international protection. In the context of ongoing debates around a Turkey without terrorism and possible constitutional reforms, the country must improve its current Law on Foreigners and International Protection. International refugee and human rights law must guide this reform process.
We hope for a future in which Turkey and Syria implement open-door policies that allow people to travel freely between the two countries not for asylum, but for purposes such as tourism, trade, industry, education, culture, and health.
I would like to conclude my remarks by thanking the esteemed management of the Ankara State Museum of Painting and Sculpture, who supported us in organizing this event, the faculty members of Hacettepe University’s Faculty of Fine Arts—especially Associate Professor Dr. Aslı Işıksal—and all the artists who participated in the exhibition with their works.
The main objective of this event was to emphasize the importance of art for social cohesion.
