The latest tragedy off the coast of Bodrum, in which 18 migrants lost their lives, has once again brought to the fore the deadly reality of irregular migration and the security vulnerabilities faced by migrants.
Lawyer Ahmet Baran Çelik, who works within the Association for Monitoring Migration (GÖÇIZDER), stressed that the deaths in the region are “not accidents but killings shaped by the greed of human traffickers and the negligence of states.” He warned that the ongoing wars in the Middle East and the escalating tensions centered around Iran could trigger new and larger waves of migration, emphasizing that a democratic model of coexistence is the only realistic solution for lasting peace.
This is clearly a killing
Ahmet Baran Çelik stressed that the tragedy off the coast of Bodrum, in which 18 migrants lost their lives, is clearly a killing and said: “Unfortunately, once again, an incident has occurred that resulted in deaths. It would not be correct to call this an accident; because this is clearly a killing. The smugglers who try to transport people across these waters by boats are the primary and direct perpetrators of this crime. They generally attempt to cross with far more people than the capacity allows. It is not possible for these boats to carry such a large number of people.
In this latest incident, we do not yet know exactly how many people were on the boat; however, in general, such overcrowding leads to boats sinking and causing major loss of life. In addition, in order to make more profit by transporting more people in a single trip, they move very quickly. This greed and disregard for human life unfortunately lead to deaths.”
Wars in the Middle East bring death and poverty
Çelik pointed out that another group of those responsible are the states and actors that force people to leave their countries, and drew attention to the lack of security along migration routes: “The ongoing wars in the Middle East bring death, destruction and poverty. People who flee these conditions and seek refuge in other countries in the hope of living a humane life become victims of mines, attacks, hunger and smugglers along migration routes. Another responsibility lies with the countries that fail to ensure the necessary measures and security along these routes.
Especially in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, we can say that sufficient safety measures are not taken for migrants who are transported in unsuitable boats, and that rapid and adequate emergency response is not provided in the event of possible accidents. This negligence applies to all countries bordering these seas. It is also necessary to open a separate bracket regarding the responsibility of European countries. Countries such as Greece and Italy, in particular, at times go beyond negligence and contribute directly to deaths. It has been observed that the security forces of these countries have even sunk migrant boats they detected, leading to loss of life.”
It is urban warfare that destroys cities and forces migration
Ahmet Baran Çelik stated that the escalating tensions centered on Iran have the potential to trigger new waves of migration and said: “The attacks that have begun in Iran and the developments in the region could indeed lead to a new wave of migration. Although it is still early to speak of a very large-scale migration, people are currently trying to relocate within the country due to ongoing airstrikes. However, if these attacks intensify, movement toward other countries will also increase.
A possible ground operation or war would turn this into mass migration; because what destroys cities and ultimately forces people to migrate is urban warfare. If the United States and Israel launch a ground war, or if different groups within Iran begin an armed struggle against the regime, this will trigger a large migration wave. How the process unfolds will be decisive. On one side, there is the United States–Israel bloc seeking regime change, and on the other, there are forces that want to preserve the current structure. It cannot be said that either side offers real peace to the peoples of the region in the short or long term.”
Democracy and coexistence are the only realistic solution
Arguing that Iran’s multicultural structure can only be preserved through a democratic approach, Ahmet Baran Çelik expressed his proposal for a solution as follows:“Whichever side prevails, Iran will face war and a wave of migration. At this point, the proposal defined as the ‘third way’ should be given a chance. This approach, which we call democracy and coexistence, stands before us as the only realistic solution in both the short and long term. A country like Iran, where different peoples and beliefs live together, can only preserve its unity through a democratic and peaceful understanding.
This applies not only to Iran, but also to Syria, Iraq and Turkey. I hope that the proposal made by Mr. Öcalan on this issue will be taken into consideration by these countries and the peoples living there.”
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