URFA – Graft, bribery and child marriage on the rise in Harran refugee camp. A refugee who doesn’t mention his/her name “No of them are coming for helping us. They are coming to take girls from us. A man from Harran bought three Syrian women” said.





Graft, bribery and child marriage on the rise in refugee camp of Harran where almost 14 thousand refugee are living and opened on 2013 by government. An anonymous refugee spoke about the camp that it is run by four neighborhood leaders.




“ I have been living here since four years and no one does anything without thinking their benefit. We ran away from Assad’s cruelty to Turkey but we are facing with cruelty in here as well. Maybe two trucks in fully with food are coming in the camp but we all refugees can take only 10 percent of them. We don’t know where rest of food is gone. For example new beds had came. But they gave us old beds of soldiers and new ones were given to soldiers. They give us a card which you can buy needs in the market and there is 100 Turkish lira credit in it. There are only three markets in the camp which you have to use your cards in there. They sell all things four times more expensive than outside” told refugee in the camp.




“ We can take needs from mukhtars in return of bribery. One of my relative’s family had needed a bigger container because they are many people. He asked a bigger container from warden of the camp but he refused to give. Then his wife and mother’s gold is sold and they bought a bigger container from mukhtar in return of eight thousand Turkish lira. They do everything in return of money. Helps are coming to us/ to Syrians but they don’t give us. Whatever we want they ask money. I need to change my ID card, they asking money even for this” said anonymous refugee.




“ We took refugee to Turkey for our honor and dignity not for staying away from death. A family came from Syria without money and in debt. The ones who take advantage from desperation took their daughter in exchange of 10 or 15 thousand lira. Mostly people from Harran are coming and buy women in the camp. Girls 15-16-17 years old are given to 50s years old men and most of them are taking girls as second wife” told refugee.




Meanwhile the camp had been praised by Commission member of European Union Johannes Hahn and he mentioned ‘ The camp of Harran is a great example how to administrate the refugee circulation. I was impressed by works on the camp” told on April of 2016.