Turkey to host 2.5 million Syrians by end of 2015

One of the worst but least told aspects of the four-year old Syrian civil war is the human tragedy of millions of Syrians who had to leave their homes to flee the violence committed by either the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad?s regime or terror organizations. The number of Syrians who have sought shelter in neighboring countries exceeds four million, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, in a statement July 9. 

In addition, 7.6 million have been displaced inside Syria, indicating that nearly half of the entire Syrian population has been severely affected by the ongoing instability in the country. However, despite continuous calls from the U.N. and neighboring countries, the international community failed to show a humanitarian response and preferred to watch this human disaster grow.   

Along with other neighboring countries, namely Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan, Turkey is trying to get through with the problem of a growing number of refugees. The official number of Syrians and Iraqis in Turkey is 1.8 million but it?s believed to be over two million with predictions that it will go up to 2.5 million by the end of this year. 

The total cost of looking after these refugees has already exceeded $5 billion, a significant burden on the Turkish economy. However, Turkish officials have underlined that the open door policy will continue to be implemented and the borders will not be closed to those who flee violence. Apart from its financial costs, the Syrian refugee issue has also had social implications, threatening societal peace and comfort, especially in the border towns. 

At a meeting with Dr. Fuat Oktay, chairman of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), I had the chance to listen to how this...