By Gulsum Incekaya
ISTANBUL
Immigrants in Turkey are vouching for the ruling party in the upcoming election, claiming it will contribute to stability in the region.
Turkey has been a safe haven for immigrants from the Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world. They spoke to Anadolu Agency about their hopes and fears over the outcome of the election on June 24, which will cement Turkey's move to the presidential system.
Mustafa Hamitoglu, chairman of Community of Syrians in Istanbul, said they are closely following the elections.
Some four million Syrians currently live in the country, mostly in cosmopolitan Istanbul.
"Lots of Syrians are following the elections campaign with bated breath. Opposition parties promising to send them back obviously are a reason to worry.
"Therefore, every immigrant wants stability and the current ruling party to continue," he said, adding that if the Syrians were allowed to vote they would vouch for Erdogan.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party candidate Muharrem Ince and newly-found Good (IYI) Party candidate Meral Aksener have promised to send Syrian refugees back to their countries if they win.
Syria has been wracked by a civil war since 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.
Syrian national Abdulaziz Eldurra, 28, who is a student at Istanbul University's Faculty of Pharmacy said he views himself as the luckiest person.
"I was studying pharmacy in Syria. However, when the civil war started, I had to quit. I am thankful to Turkey for providing me with this opportunity," Eldurra said.
Eldurra said they want Erdogan to win the election.
"Especially, we, the Syrians living in Turkey are concerned that our future is a dark, endless tunnel. We support the continuation of the current government for the stability of Turkey and the region," he added.
Muhammed Hasan Kernibo fled to Turkey seven years ago due to civil war in Syria. The 28-year-old said his family was still living in the camps while he attends a language school in Istanbul to learn Turkish. Kernibo praised Turkey for its efforts in helping the oppressed.
"What will happen if there will be a change in Turkey after the elections and they want to send us back. Where will we go? We cannot go back to our country due to war. But I trust the Turkish people, they will vote in favor of stability, they will choose the party and its leader who will serve Turkey," he said.
Erdogan savior of Palestinians
Hazem Antar, chairman of the Board of Palestine Friendship Association, said the Palestinians loved the country which had provided them shelter since 1948.
"Since Erdogan's famous outburst at [Former Israeli President] Shimon Peres in 2009, attention towards Palestinians increased. This awareness was not there in 1960s, 70s or 80s," he said.
"Hopefully after June 24, this government will continue to be in power," he added.
"We have been living in Turkey for a long time now. Opposition parties' diatribe to send us back worries us. We are doctors, engineers and businessmen mostly. Hopefully our fears will not come true."
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict dates back to 1917 when the British government, in the now-famous "Balfour Declaration," called for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people".
For many Palestinians, the right of return to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel is an inalienable right.
Iranians and Egyptians taste freedom
Iranian national Behzad Sheikha, 36, who owns a translation bureau said Turkey had become their refuge.
"These people [refugees and immigrants] do not have another place to go to other than Turkey," he said.
Sheikha said millions of foreigners in Turkey support stability in June 24 elections, adding a change of government will cause serious troubles.
Egyptian phytotherapist Halit Mushrif, 54, said they are praying for Erdogan's victory, who is loved across the Muslim world.
"We, as the Arab community living in Turkey, want the success of AK [Justice and Development] Party because we tasted freedom in Turkey that we missed so much in our country," Mushrif added.
Egyptian accounting manager Khaled Yusuf praised Erdogan and the AK Party.
"There is so much beauty in this country and the freedom we are seeking to have in our countries. The AK Party has progressed in terms of economic direction and development," the 55-year-old said.
"Tourists can come here without facing any problems. No matter who is coming, they find the freedom which they cannot even find in their own country. We are hoping that the victory will be with Recep Tayyip Erdogan," he added.
Egyptian pharmacist Ahmed Ferraci for his part thanked Erdogan and the Turkish people for tolerance and another chance to life.
A former army chief, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ousted Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, in a military coup in 2013. Several prominent activists have been detained by Egyptian authorities in recent months.
Uzbek, Chinese, Kosovar
Uzbek Mamurjon Akhmetjonov, 25, a political science and international relations graduate from the Istanbul 19 Mayis University said as a foreign student living in Turkey he is following the elections closely.
Akhmetjonov said that he wants the current government to continue so that foreign students will continue to have unfettered access.
Ali Farah, 35, a Djiboutian doctorate student at Yildirim Beyazit University in Ankara said he had been living in Turkey since 2004 and had witnessed the progress made during AK Party's rule.
"Europe is also voting for right-wing and strong leaders. Therefore, a powerful leader should govern Turkey," he said.
Necmettin Aila, 25, from China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region pointed out that Turkey has been dealing with a number of challenges and only a strong leader could overcome them.
"I believe that Turkey can only solve its domestic and external problems with a strong leader like Erdogan. I do not know what the election results would be, but my personal opinion is that Erdogan's reelection will be beneficial for Turkey and the region," Aila said.
Durim Abazi, 27, from Kosovo is a journalism student in Istanbul's Marmara University.
He said Turkey was accepting millions of refugees from all around the world.
"Some presidential candidates stated in their election campaigns that they would send the refugees living in Turkey back to their countries. Thus, those people who found a safe haven in Turkey due to the war and economic problems in their countries are awaiting June 24 elections with fear and anxiety because they are unaware what awaits them."
