The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) warns of possible deals with the Erdoğan regime in order to facilitate deportations to Syria. “As the German Federal Government has not maintained any official relations with the Assad regime since 2012, Turkey would be the most promising country for plans to deport people to Syria,” stated Dr. Kamal Sido, the STP’s Middle East Consultant.

At today’s Interior Ministers’ Conference, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser was optimistic about finding timely solutions for deporting serious criminals and potentially dangerous Islamists to Syria or Afghanistan. Accordingly, negotiations are currently taking place.

“Currently, the rulers of Turkey and Syria are de facto at war. We fear that Erdoğan is planning to resettle deported Syrians to Afrin or Ras Al Ain (Sare Kanye). A change in the population composition in the predominantly Kurdish areas in favor of the non-Kurdish population is exactly what Erdoğan wants,” the Middle East expert warned.

Turkish ruler Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has already managed to reduce the population share of the Kurdish people in Afrin (which was illegally occupied by Turkey in 2018) from more than 90 percent to between 15 and 22 percent.

“Afrin and other Turkish-occupied areas of Syria have become a hotbed of radical Islamism. There is the acute danger that Erdoğan might be planning to have deported Syrians armed to let them fight for his Islamist project – not only in Syria, but potentially also in the South Caucasus or in Africa. The victims would be minority groups such as the Kurds, the Armenians, Christians, Alevis, and Yazidis. The danger to Germany also increases if deported individuals further radicalize and can return to Germany via Turkey without hindrance.”

“The German Federal Government should under no circumstances close any deals with Erdoğan to facilitate deportations to Syria. This would promote Islamism instead of fighting it. Instead, Germany should thus seriously cooperate with other actors to put and end to the crisis in Syria,” the Middle East expert demanded. “Only an end to the war and armed conflicts will help to sustainably reduce migration from Syria and other countries. Anyone who relies on war and violent resolution of political conflicts must bear the consequences and take in and care for the refugees. Otherwise, the German government’s alleged commitment to international law and human rights will remain mere lip service.