Pragmatism, moral responsibility or policy change: the Syrian refugee crisis and selective humanitarianism in the Turkish refugee regime

Umut Korkut

doi:10.1186/s40878-015-0020-9

Abstract

Pragmatism, moral responsibility or policy change: the Syrian refugee crisis and selective humanitarianism in the Turkish refugee regime

Highlights

This article scrutinizes how the Syrian crisis affects the management of Turkey’s refugee regime
The recent Syrian refugee crisis showed that the AKP government of Turkey maintains a pragmatic and selective approach in the application of refugee rights and protection
AKP promotes a feeling of affinity with the Sunnite Muslim Arab Syrian refugees in comparison to other refugee groups from Syria and Iraq

Summary

Introduction

This article scrutinizes how the Syrian crisis affects the management of Turkey’s refugee regime. In response to the Syrian crisis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) coordinates Turkish humanitarian efforts with international agencies ‛not within the political but the legal frame of the crisis’ (MFA interview 1, Ankara, February 2014).

Results

Conclusion