“After I came to Turkey, I found that people from many different backgrounds – Turks, Arabs and Kurds – live in Sanliurfa. Yet there is harmony here between these groups. I saw this very clearly two years ago, when both Syrians and Turks gathered, as one people, in Rabiaa Square, during the failed coup attempt. It was as if the Syrians were saying, ‘We lost our home and don’t want the same to happen to this dear country.'”
Ramazan Ömer, College of Theology, Harran University
“When I arrived in Turkey as a refugee, I assumed that the different communities here all have their own issues. But just as Dr Ramazan describes, the events which took place showed me the unity of the Syrian and Turkish communities. It’s only borders that divide us. I’ve been really motivated ever since to continue my studies. I’ve started to feel that I belong to this country, and being a refugee won’t stop me from contributing to it.”
Selva Mislim, Student, College of Theology