Turks navigate influx of Syrian refugees

World Today

The war in Syria has brought a dramatic increase in residents to Gaziantep, Turkey, located 40 miles away from the fighting. CCTV’s Natalie Carney reported this story from Istanbul, Turkey about the changes happening to this once quiet city.

Restaurant owner Mustafa Kamel is of two minds when it comes to the influx of new residents. On the one hand, business has gone up 40 percent, but then so has his feeling of insecurity.

“You can’t know which one is good and which one is bad. For sure those being here are affecting our security. We heard 50-60 kg (110-132 pounds) of TnT was found in front of one of the malls. Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s not, but it’s making people more afraid, more careful. I don’t go to the big malls anymore because of these things,” Kamel said.

In October, Turkish police confiscated 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of explosives, more than 20 suicide vests, and a large stockpile of weapons and ammunition from a house in Gaziantep, purportedly belonging to ISIL.

Security warnings are at the highest levels in areas where known ISIL members are.

Recent Turkish intelligence shows 3,000 people in Turkey are said to be linked to ISIL. Many are part of sleeper cells, waiting in border cities like Gaziantep.