Syrians in Turkey have welcomed the re-election of Recep Tayyip Erdogan as Turkey's president for another five years, after he won a run-off election over a rival who threatened to send refugees back to their country.
Opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who was seeking to end Mr Erdogan's two decades as Turkey's leader, had made returning the nearly four million people who fled Syria's civil war a key part of his campaign.
In contrast, Mr Erdogan, who supported opposition groups in the early years of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, projected himself as a protector of refugees.
Reacting run-off election victory on Sunday, Salem Al Meslet, head of the National Coalition of the Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, offered his “sincerest congratulations” and hoped the Turkish president would continue to “support the Syrian people's aspirations for freedom”.
“Erdogan is certainly eyeing a deal for returning some of the refugees … but he does not have an anti-immigration policy,” Serhat Suha Cubukcuoglu, senior researcher at the TRENDS Research and Advisory think tank in Abu Dhabi, told The National.
“Some of the Syrians who have remained in Turkey and not moved on to Europe or elsewhere, are working in lower paid, unsecured jobs or ones that Turks would do for a higher salary.
“So companies and manufacturers may favour Syrians because they provide cheap labour force.
“Erdogan doesn't want to disturb that dynamic because his voter base relies on affluent people in Anatolia who own businesses and don't want to let people go.”
There has been increasing anti-Syrian sentiment in Turkey amid an economic crisis, with many Turks blaming Syrians for inflation and a higher cost of living.
Far-right Victory Party leader Umit Ozdag, who backed Mr Kilicdaroglu, said expelling migrants would lift “the burden” on Turkey's economy adding that their removal would make Turkey's streets “safe again”.
Such sentiments, along with moves by Turkey to restore relations with Mr Al Assad's government in recent months, have made Syrian refugees concerned about their future in the country.
“As we know most Syrians who fled to Turkey are opposed to the Syrian government.
“They may be wanted by the security forces there or at least not want to return to Syria.
“Erdogan's Justice and Development party provides a moral support, more than anything, for those Syrians seeking a better life in Turkey,” said Hasan Mukhtar, a Syrian activist living in the country.
“Additionally, the opposition's campaign relied on racism and xenophobia to win.
“Many Syrians are now more relaxed knowing that they, who encourage people to act on those sentiments, have lost the presidency,” he told The National.
In rebel-held north-west Syria, which remains out Assad government control, Syria Civil Defence group member Ahmad Alyousef tweeted a photo of Erdogan supporters and a message of “heartfelt congratulations to the success of the people's will”.
“As Syrians, we look forward to the day that this true electoral experience will take place in Syria after it is free from oppression by Al Assad's gang,” he wrote.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Results
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
LIVERPOOL%20TOP%20SCORERS
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
More on Quran memorisation:
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Who is Ramon Tribulietx?
Born in Spain, Tribulietx took sole charge of Auckland in 2010 and has gone on to lead the club to 14 trophies, including seven successive Oceania Champions League crowns. Has been tipped for the vacant New Zealand national team job following Anthony Hudson's resignation last month. Had previously been considered for the role.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Grand Slam Los Angeles results
Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos
Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Carzaty%2C%20now%20Kavak%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20launched%20in%202018%2C%20Kavak%20in%20the%20GCC%20launched%20in%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20140%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Automotive%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20raised%20%246m%20in%20equity%20and%20%244m%20in%20debt%3B%20Kavak%20plans%20%24130m%20investment%20in%20the%20GCC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
