Turkish opposition leader warns of climate change effects on Iraq, Syria

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish opposition leader and presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu spoke on Tuesday about the catastrophic effects of climate change on Syria and Iraq, warning that this could lead to an influx of refugees to Turkey.

In a video statement, Kilicdaroglu warned that climate change was affecting the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Citing studies, he said the rivers were at risk of drying up over the next 20 years if necessary measures are not taken. 

“This issue [rivers drying] does not affect only Turkey’s southeast agriculture, hydroelectric centrals stop operating and make us face serious water scarcity issues, it will also affect 60 million people who live in our southern neighbors of Syria and Iraq,” he added.

According to Kilicdaroglu, if necessary measures are not taken, “hungry and thirsty” refugees from these countries will flow to the Turkish borders. He stated that Turkey would not be able to handle the possible influx as its water and energy infrastructure does not suffice for its own citizens. 

Although Kilicdaroglu is not the first candidate to talk about the refugee crisis, as other candidates such as Muharrem Ince and Sinan Ogan continuously promise a refugee-free Turkey, Kilicdaroglu is the first one to address it as a part of the climate change issue.

“The refugee issue is not a racial issue, but a resource one,” he said. 

Turkey has to lead the efforts to solve the climate crisis in the Mediterranean basin, according to the Turkish presidential candidate.

Water scarcity is a severe issue in Iraq. The country is the fifth-most vulnerable nation in the world to the effects of climate change, including water and food insecurity, according to the UN, and Turkey exacerbated the situation by damming the rivers cutting much-needed water.

In March, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the two discussed the release of more water to Iraq. 

“We need to increase Turkey’s resistance against climate change, or there will no longer be Syria or Iraq,” he said, adding that refugees will be at the borders of Europe, and Turkey cannot act as a buffer zone for them.

“We will talk with the Syrian authorities, we will make protocols with the legitimate government for the safety of the returnees, and we will include the European Union and the United Nations in this protocol,” said Kilicdaroglu, who promised working with the EU to return the Syrians safely to their homeland within two years latest.

Turkey’s opposition has incessantly criticized the government for taking in refugees, as it is the home of more than 5.5 million refugees, mainly from Syria. The opposition’s fear is that these people are being given citizenship, which will give them the right to cast a vote in the elections.

In August 2022, the Turkish Interior Minister, Suleyman Soylu, said that 223,881 Syrians have been given Turkish citizenship, and that 120,000 can cast a vote. 

The Syrian communities in Turkey are well known for their support of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), especially after Erdogan opened the doors to them at the start of the Syrian civil war over a decade ago.

Turks are set to head to the poll on May 14 in one of the most decisive elections in the last 20 years.