The rage of the 26-year-old Tunisian man, Mohamed Bouazizi, who set himself on fire in front of the municipal building in broad daylight on 17 December 2010, soon spread among the youth and triggered the Arab Spring.

Before long, the voice of the Tunisian youth was heard and found supporters not only in its own country but also in neighboring countries with similar characteristics. The riots spread in waves.

The protests which began in Tunisia and later spread to Egypt, Libya, and other Arab countries were referred to as the “Arab Spring,” and the subsequent regime changes they caused in...

According to some experts, a mass movement of people should meet two criteria before it can be considered a “forced migration:” (1) at least 1% of the country’s total population must be under threat and (2) at least 100 thousand people must have left the place they live in either by force or due to circumstances.

The recent history of the Middle East is familiar with such tragedies. The people of Syria are now going through what the peoplle of Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon have experienced before. In terms of the dimensions of the crisis, Syria’s population is 22.5 million,...

The Second World War was a turning point in the introduction of international law on refugees. Two significant steps were taken to deal with this refugee problem which has gradually acquired an international character. First, the UN General Assembly decided in December 1949 to establish the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which would operate under its authority. In 1950 the UNHCR acquired official status and started its work. Second, the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Legal Status of Refugees, a significant document comprising of the principles and definitions in this respect, was accepted. This document...

Hundreds of thousands of victims of war have been trying to cope with very difficult conditions for over two years.

The Syrians who were able to reach the camps in Turkey are relatively more fortunate than their fellow citizens who went to Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon instead; it is a wellknown fact that the camps in Turkey offer better physical and social facilities than in the above-mentioned countries.

Almost all of the registered refugees in Turkey are placed in camps called “AFAD Accommodation Center.” These camps provide a wide array of services from security to food, from psychological counseling to...

The Syrian refugee issue, which we have attempted to present in a comprehensive approach, will continue to be a source of great humanitarian and political concern since there is no foreseeable end to the conflict. The attacks on Cilvegozu border gate on 11 February and Akcakale border gate on 2 May -- which resulted in casualties, the fires at the camps, and other unpleasant incidents arising from discontent undoubtedly give us hints about what should and should not be done in the future. Based on our observations, we think that the recognition of the following truths and implementation of the...