The mayor of Ankara calls for training Syrians and sending them to fight in Syria
August 5, 2019, 9:14 am

The mayor of Ankara calls for training Syrians and sending them to fight in Syria

The former mayor of greater Ankara, Melih Kokjek, called for arming Syrians in his country and sending them back to Syria, in a controversial statements.

Kokjek, who is considered an ally of the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, posted tweets expressing his support for the idea of training young Syrians, under the age of 35 in camps inside Turkey, then sending them to Syria to fight.

Syrians are in cafes or on beaches

He explained: “what infuriates me is that young Syrians in Turkey, who are at the age of military service, age are sitting in cafes or on the beach, I am not against having them in my country as refugees, but it angers me that we are fighting for them and they are sitting in cafes and beaches”

Kokjek believes that there “has to be a new policy” in Turkey towards Syrian refugees, pointing out that Syrian men and women over the age of 35, as well as children, could stay in the country as guests.

Those who refuse have to leave

Melih Kokjek said: “Young Syrian people should be sent to training camps based inside Turkey, while institutions that responsible for Syrians throughout Turkey should be informed. Anyone who rejects this decision should be deported immediately.”

The Turkish minister of interior, Suleyman Soylu, rejected the idea describing it was a poor proposal which could not be implemented. He added: “we cannot force the Syrians who fled their country to go back and take up arms.”

According to Turkish media; Kokjek, who resigned as Mayor of Ankara in 2017, is expected to become deputy of Justice and Development Party, the ruling party in Turkey, and that he will take office following instruction from Erdogan personally, who is the leader of the ruling party, as a result of the restructuring that will take place within “Justice and Development Party”

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