The issue of Syrian refugees is the most important topic discussed in the Turkey's domestic politics. This file greatly affects the Turkish national security and interest as considered a cornerstone of the ongoing debate about the future of Syria.

Today, there are very limited discussions and studies among public opinion, politicians, and experts on the current situation of Syrians in Turkey that address the critical importance of the term “safe environment” and its impact and essential role in finding a possible political solution for the Syrian future.

Based on this perspective, the Syrian Association for the Citizens' Dignity, in cooperation with the Turkish organization SOLARIS held a symposium in the capital of Turkey, Ankara, on February 10-11, 2022, with the participation of dozens of Turkish academics, representatives of civil society organizations, Syrian and Turkish political, and media figures.  The symposium was an essential starting point for a serious and open discussion aimed at building a common understanding of the situation experienced by Syrian refugees today in Turkey and everywhere.

During the conference, the nature of the safe environment and the conditions required for the return of the Syrians were explained.

The conference was opened with a speech delivered by Ms. Rudaina Khazzam, the Association's director programs, in which she spoke about the depth of relations between Syrians and Turks and the common bonds, as well as the geographical proximity where millions of Syrians sought refuge in Turkey in the hope of a safe, dignified and voluntary return.  Then she reviewed the symposium's work program and referred to the continuation of forced displacement from Syria to this day, which proves that Syria is currently not safe for any dignified, voluntary, and safe return.

This was followed by Mr. Dinçer Alptekin from SOLARIS, who stated that what is happening in Syria is more than a political problem, and "it is above all a human tragedy". He also stressed the need to create a safe environment in Syria as a basis for a sustainable solution and for the return of Syrian refugees.

The next speaker was Dr. Gökçe Ok, Deputy General Manager for Compliance and Communication at the Directorate of Migration Management, in which he explained the concept of refugee and asylum in Turkish law, how Turkish law deals with the conditions of Syrians and the reason for granting them temporary protection status. He mentioned the significant role of refugees existed in various countries in the rise and development of these countries as well as.

The panellists then presented their statements. The first session included a presentation by Dr.ALİ ZAFER SAĞIROĞLU, who spoke about the field study conducted by Ankara Beyazit University on the desire of Syrians to immigrate to Europe. He concluded that 53% of Syrians want to stay in Turkey, and they think that Syria is not safe to return and their main reason for not returning is the Syrian regime.

He continued by saying the political map in Syria is one of the main conditions for the return and the Syrian regime is still the strongest in control with the support of Russia, in addition to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces: "The situation is complicated. Iran, Hezbollah, Russia, Turkey and other forces, all share the Syrian land, so the return is a comprehensive not partial issue, and we should not see only one angle, but ignore others."

This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Ahmet İçduygu from Koç University, a specialist in migration programs, who stressed that “the refugees must return to their places of origin, in other words, the displaced from Aleppo cannot be settled in another place. It also cannot be said that there is a safe environment for return. Even if there is a safe environment and the refugees refuse to return, this is their right, and the return must be voluntary and based on the will of the person.”

Dr Zeynep Şahin Mencütek from the Bonn International Research Center, speaking after Dr Ahmed, confirmed that the situation in Syria is unsafe and unstable. He noted that UNHCR said that returns should be voluntary, but we should be very careful about this concept. She said that there are displaced within Syria and their number reaches millions, that the figures given by the UNHCR do not cover all the cases, and that the issue of return is not clearly known because they do not specify the fate of the returnees. Dr. Zeinab continued, "I do not think that the UNHCR numbers of refugees reflect the truth. There are some Syrians who return, but to what extent is this return considered voluntary?"

In his speech during the same session, Refik Hodzic, an expert on transitional justice, noted that “at present, the issue of return is viewed superficially and it is implemented without fundamental changes on the ground, and this is a dangerous delusion. So, the issue of safe return is important in order to obtain a sustainable solution, but at the same time it is difficult as it requires the fulfillment of many conditions.”

Mr. Mohanad Alhosini, a member of the diplomatic team in the association, in his speech he stated that “there is one thing that is non debatable: As the displaced, we have the right to return to our homes in Syria without fear of persecution, harassment, discrimination or intimidation on the basis of race or religious affiliation or political leanings, or for any reason.” He added that “a safe environment means the safety of any returnees. It is the minimal and essential part of any talks about safe, voluntary, and dignified return. It is a prerequisite for any potential and sustainable return in the future".

In the second session, Prof. Dr. Murat Erdoğan from the Turkish-German University reviewed the study he conducted, in which he concluded that 80% of the Syrians do not want to return under the current environment, and it is not possible to talk about return without the appropriate integration of Syrian refugees
in host countries, and that any talk about a safe environment and the premature return of refugees and in the absence of a safe environment will lead to an imbalance between the host community and the refugees, and how the safe environment should be interpreted from the refugees' point of view who have the right to return.

In his intervention, Dr. Mahmut Kaya from Harran University explained the Syrians’ concept of a safe environment and its relevance to the existence of the Assad regime,
and the influence of different groups on this concept.

Whereas, Mr. Denshar Alptekin talked about the legal framework for safe and voluntary return and its implementation in Turkey, and what the Syrians face
in organizing legal life in Turkey.

Dr. Mazen Kseibi, a member of the Association’s Board of Trustees, spoke in his speech about the continuation of displacement against the Syrian people by the Assad regime and its allies, the continuation of campaigns of kidnapping, detention and forced disappearance, as well livelihood deterioration and environment of fear in which Syrians live in Assad’s control areas .

The symposium continued on the second day by discussing how Turkish public opinion interprets the safe environment and its impact on the Syrians. In this context, Mr. Ibrahim Efe from the University of Kilis addressed in his speech how the media deals with the issue of safe return and its impact on refugees.

He was followed by Mr. Gökçeroğlu, a representative of T24 channel, who spoke about how the Turkish media deals with the issue of refugees' return and how it affects the discourses of decision-makers on the return of refugees.

After that, Dr. Ayselin YILDIZ from Yasar University addressed the meaning of a safe environment and people taking refuge in a safer country from Syria and what this means for both the host society and the refugees.

The last speaker was Ms. Burcu Karakas from DW TV, who addressed the issue of return demands in the Turkish media, how to promote fake news, and the necessity of fact-finding in raising the issue of refugee return because of its repercussions on the harmony between the host community and the refugees.

At the end of the symposium, Mrs. Rudaina Alkhazam recited the closing statement, which summarized the outcomes of the conference with the following points:

• The world must hear the demands of the displaced Syrians related to return conditions. Our voice must be clear within any political process, and the changes we want must begin and be identified before talking about anything else. Because, it is undeniable that the issue of return cannot be dicussed without talking about eliminating the real causes of displacement.
• Before the conditions for a safe and dignified return are fulfilled, including the significant changes mentioned earlier in all of Syria and a safe environment as the displaced Syrians understand and demand it, there will be no voluntary return to Syria. Premature or forced return will only result in more instability and further waves of displacement.
• The United Nations and the UNHCR must involve the displaced Syrians themselves in discussions about the implementation of protection thresholds, the reality of Syria, and the definition of the safe environment before talking about the possibility of their return.
• Talking about a political solution or any separate aspect of the solution, whether the constitution, elections, or other, is useless unless the political solution includes our conditions for a safe Syria and a dignified life. A stable and sustainable political solution will not be possible, without ensuring the rights of displaced Syrians who constitute the majority of Syrian population.
• We believe this conference was a successful attempt to discuss the reality in Syria and make the voice of the displaced heard by Turkish and global public, politicians and academics by defining in detail what must be changed in Syria before talking about return.
• It is our duty to disseminate the content of the conversations held at this event, and engage a broader spectrum of the Turkish public and policy makers in this conversation.
• We also need to share and disseminate these ideas into the Turkish public and raise their awareness about the truth and reality of Syrians and their future.
• Establishing a safe environment in all of Syria is a common strategic interest for Turkey’s national security and Syria’s future, and we must work together for this. We must also ensure that we understand what Syrians really need and want in order to be able to return in safety and dignity.