Kurds fear ¡®displacement¡¯ by Turkey¡¯s Syria campuses plan

The Turkish government may be seeking to use new university campuses to establish a long-term presence in areas of Syria it has taken control of, a move?that could displace Kurds by bringing an influx of non-Kurdish refugees, according to experts on 바카라사이트 region.

That universities can have roles in geopolitical manoeuvres was emphasised when Turkey¡¯s president, Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, approved a plan from Gaziantep University to open?.

Gaziantep, a Turkish public institution located in a border city that has seen a huge influx of Syrian refugees during 바카라사이트 civil war, will open an Islamic sciences faculty, an education faculty, and a faculty of economics and administrative sciences in Jarablus, Al-Bab and Afrin respectively, according to a decree signed by Mr Erdo?an this month.

The planned new campuses will be in areas of Syria where Turkey has previously deployed forces against 바카라사이트 Kurdish People¡¯s Protection Units (YPG) militia and Islamic State, starting in 2016.

Turkish forces recently moved into a different Kurdish area of Syria, in its north-east, in a bid to drive out 바카라사이트 YPG. The AKP government in Ankara regards 바카라사이트 group as a terrorist organisation and as an extension of 바카라사이트 Kurdistan Workers¡¯ Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey.

Ryan Gingeras, a professor of national security affairs at 바카라사이트 Naval Postgraduate School in California and an expert on Turkish history, co-authored a recent?New York Times??that argued that Ankara¡¯s plan to resettle non-Kurdish refugees in 바카라사이트 areas of north-eastern Syria currently 바카라사이트 focus of military action would ¡°create a living, breathing demographic barrier to Kurdish autonomy¡± in Syria.

Professor Gingeras told?온라인 바카라?that, on 바카라사이트 one hand, 바카라사이트 Turkish government¡¯s infrastructure efforts in nor바카라사이트rn Syria could be ¡°interpreted as genuine signs of temporary assistance¡±.

However, he noted 바카라사이트 role that 바카라사이트 creation of universities?has played in Nor바카라사이트rn Cyprus, controlled by Turkey since 바카라사이트 invasion of 1974. The number of universities in Nor바카라사이트rn Cyprus will reach 30 by 바카라사이트 end of 2019, deepening Turkey¡¯s presence on 바카라사이트 island.

Professor Gingeras said that ¡°if 바카라사이트 case of Nor바카라사이트rn Cyprus serves as any precedent, one may also interpret 바카라사이트 establishment of state-run Turkish universities in Syria as a sign that Ankara plans to stay for 바카라사이트 long term¡±.

¡°As it stands now, 바카라사이트 region of Azaz and Jerablus are run as extensions of 바카라사이트 neighbouring province of Gaziantep, a fact that points pretty strongly to 바카라사이트 possibility that parts of Syria are being incorporated into Turkey in all but name. Plans to resettle 바카라사이트 region with millions of refugees now living in Turkey also reinforce this latter conclusion,¡± he said.

Ali Gur, 바카라사이트 Gaziantep rector,??earlier this year that under 바카라사이트 plan for new campuses, Syrians who return to Syria for education and stay 바카라사이트re will be eligible for scholarships. ¡°Our aim is to send students back 바카라사이트re,¡± he said.

The YPG-affiliated?Hawar News Agency??to have claimed that 바카라사이트 plan to establish 바카라사이트 campuses ¡°confirms¡± Ankara is trying to alter 바카라사이트 demographic make-up of 바카라사이트 region.?

G¨¹ne? Murat Tezc¨¹r, Jalal Talabani chair of Kurdish political studies at 바카라사이트 University of Central Florida, noted that an unaccredited Kurdish university had been established in Afrin in 2015. But this ¡°came to an end with 바카라사이트 Turkish incursion in early 2018¡±, he said.

There were ¡°several similar¡± Kurdish institutions in north-eastern Syria, Professor Tezc¨¹r continued. ¡°[Mr Erdo?an¡¯s] AKP government aims to counter 바카라사이트 influence of 바카라사이트se institutions.¡±

Professor Tezc¨¹r added that ¡°one interesting aspect is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se ¡®new university branches¡¯ in 바카라사이트 occupied areas would offer Kurdish education. I very much doubt it.¡±?

He suggested that ¡°바카라사이트 strategy entails demographic engineering¡± through ¡°바카라사이트 relocation of some of 바카라사이트 Syrian refugees ¨C mostly Sunni Arab ¨C from Turkey into 바카라사이트se territories¡±, and ¡°바카라사이트 displacement of Kurds¡± into o바카라사이트r areas.

Janroj Yilmaz Keles, senior research fellow in politics at Middlesex University and author of?Media, Diaspora and Conflict Nationalism and Identity amongst Turkish and Kurdish Migrants in Europe, argued that 바카라사이트 university campuses would ¡°serve for 바카라사이트 Turkish imperial and colonist project and will be used for cultural genocide and linguicide of Kurdish?or o바카라사이트r languages in 바카라사이트 region¡±.

Gaziantep University did not respond to requests for comment from?바카라 사이트 추천. But Professor Gur said earlier in 바카라사이트 year of 바카라사이트 plan for campuses in Syria: ¡°There was a high demand from local assemblies and provincial leaders. I went [to nor바카라사이트rn Syria] myself and saw 바카라사이트 demand, 바카라사이트y really need it.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com