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Turkish President Eyes Syrian Refugee Return to Quell Public Discontent,
Economic Malaise

Dorian Jones

   ISTANBUL - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pushing for the
   mass return of Syrian refugees to ease domestic discontent and
   kickstart an ailing economy. But Erdogan is struggling to find the
   financial support to realize his objective.

   Turkey's military operation against the YPG Syrian Kurdish militia this
   month was ostensibly an operation to secure the Turkish border from
   what Ankara called a terrorist threat. But analysts suggest the return
   of refugees was the main objective.

   "This political risk [Syrian military operation] Tayyip Erdogan took,
   this decision was mostly for domestic purposes," said international
   relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical
   University. "Why? Because the recent [Turkish] local elections show the
   Syrian refugees are already a social, psychological, political, [and]
   economic problem for Turkey.

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