HATAY – Christian refugees who fled to Turkey from Syria says they are facing with oppression second time due to different religions. Christian refugees reminded that they had to migrate to Turkey from Syria because of radical groups’ oppression over them.



According to official data, almost three million Syrian came to Turkey after war began in Syria and between 10-15 thousand refugees are Christian that some of them already went to abroad. But remained Christians are surviving in Hatay, Mersin, İstanbul, İzmir and Adana. Christians have to hide their religious to protect their selves against radical and anti-Christian.




A Christian refugee who fled to Yayladağı-Hatay of Turkey five years ago from Syria said “ We couldn’t live in Yayladağı anymore when they realized that we are Christian. Then we went to Antakya city center and have been living here since four years. But still we are unwanted group in Antakya. We could work only for 10-15 lira ( 3-4 euro) per a day.”





“ We can’t take advantage from health, housing and education rights like other refugee. Because Turkish Education Ministry provides class only for Sunni Muslims. It is not acceptable for our religion. None of us want to send our children to these schools” said another Christian.




“ Turkey is as bad as Syria. Our women were raped and killed by radical Islamic groups. Our women are exposed to sexual abuse. Most of them enslaved by human trafficker when they passed to Turkey. We don’t know what happened to them” said a Christian refugee from Syria.



Erdoğan Alayumat - dihaber