The Swimmers

Syria, a Middle Eastern country, had a complex political atmosphere, ethnic and religious landscape before the Syrian Civil War. When the year showed 2011, we witnessed a "Syrian Civil War" that started and continued in Syria. The Syrian Civil War is a kind of armed conflict that created and continues in Syria.

Similar to other Arab countries during the Arab Spring, political reform and the end of authoritarian rule. However, the Syrian government's reaction to the protests led by Bashar al-Assad was quite violent and further caused these conflicts to turn into a civil war. The conflict has caused great destruction, loss of life, displacement, and humanitarian crises in Syria, and millions of Syrians have been compelled to leave their homes and lands to seek refuge both within the country and in neighboring countries and beyond. At the same time, the war carried the conflict to a different point and increased its size day by day with the help and support of different countries, and at this point, it brought international participation with it. From a general point of view, the Arab Spring had a transformative effect on Syria, turning the peaceful protests into a violent and protracted civil war that continues to affect the country and the region to this day.

NAVIGATING UNKNOWN WATERS

The geography where we were born and raised is very special and has many special meanings for us. Therefore, migration means a change in the world of meanings and values, as well as the displacement of a person or people. The film Swimmers tells us about the adventures and processes of two Syrian sisters emigrating from Syria to Germany in 2015. It addresses the difficulties of this migration route as well as how migration can affect one's sense of meaning. While the two brothers (Yüsra and Sara) continue their lives as siblings preparing for the Olympics in Syria, they decide to immigrate to Germany with the outbreak of the civil war and to take their families with them after they leave. They can go to Germany to do the "Family Union". Then they can take their family members with them. Together with Sara and Yüsra's male cousins, they plan to escape to Germany illegally, but the first step is to go "illegal ways" and then apply for "family reunification". The first step is very important at this point. First of all, the plan is that they will fly to Istanbul with a tourist visa, and then if someone asks something, they will introduce themselves as tourists going on holiday to Turkey. Then there had to be a smuggler to take him to the Bulgarian border, and this route would be safer even if it was more expensive than crossing the sea. When Yüsra, Sara, and her cousin landed in Istanbul, they followed a group of people, made an agreement with a smuggler in Eminönü, and then formed the route they would take. The smuggler they found had a condition that a person could only buy one bag. There were people of many nationalities on the boat: Syrian, Afghan, Somali, etc. The country they all wanted to go to was different; their ultimate goal was to seek asylum in countries like England and Germany. They set out to arrive on the island of Lesbos illegally by boat and the boat was quite crowded, there were small children from old to young, and the ultimate goal of all of them; was to attain peace and prosperity without war. The fact that the water was choppy and the engine was faulty made this situation difficult. The inability of the boat to lift the weight created an atmosphere of anxiety and panic. Since Yüsra and Sara, who thought that the boat would be caught in the waves at any moment, were national swimmers working for the Olympics, they divided the boats among themselves, who knew how to swim and who did not know how to swim, and gave them a place to protect each other. The main purpose of this situation is "to act together". When the boat arrived in Greek waters, it didn't work and started to sink. Yüsra, who called the Turkish Coast Guard, said in her conversation with the Turkish Coast Guard that they were "stranded and about to sink", and the Turkish Coast Guard wants to know their location by asking where and in which territorial waters they are. And when he learns that they are in the territorial waters of another country, "Can you come back?" he asks, already showing that he can help if they are in the open sea. After being told that the boat was not in a position to return in the ongoing phone call, the Turkish Coast Guard replied that they did not have such a practice, and the call ended. Then, Yüsra and Sara decide to swim in Greek waters because the boat cannot bear the weight. The boat arrives at the Greek island of Lesbos, but they encounter racist treatment in Greece. When they wanted to buy water, the employee replied, "There is no water for the refugee." "UNHCR" humanitarian assistance in their location. At this point, with the thought that the Serbian police might cause a problem, the route was Hungary, but the smuggler they agreed to take to Hungary left him in a deserted spot and received 800 euros per person. Their journeys, which start by plane, continue by boat, bus, car, and sometimes long walks. Having to accept high-paying agents, people choose between getting caught by the police or being stranded and staying in unsafe places. Where they are, Sara is harassed, and together with other immigrants, they try to reach their destination by jumping over barbed wire. Yüsra, Sara, and her cousin, who did not want to go to the back of the truck in Budapest, decided to march for Germany. Starting from Syria, respectively; Having reached Germany by passing through Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, and Austria, the brothers get passport control and temporary residence permit with German policies in the camp they are in, and then they can both train and find a place to stay with the help of a helpful teacher as professional swimmers. The elder brother later joins a non-governmental organization to help people on the migration path like them, while the other brother competes on behalf of the refugees team in the 2016 Olympic competitions.

1.1 FATE’S RELOCATION: LIVES UPROOTED BY NECESSITY

The forced migration in the Syrian civil war has shaped lives, shattered borders, and tested the indomitable human spirit. Among the ruins, displaced souls embarked on a journey to hope and weaved tales of survival, power, and an unwavering quest for a brighter tomorrow. As the world grapples with the consequences of this tragic time, we must find solace in the power of compassion and solidarity and work together to restore the shattered dreams and dignity of those who carry the burden. Migration, which is the subject of the Swimmers movie, is "forced migration". The current civil war, conflict, and struggle for survival in Syria are very important at this point. The atmosphere of insecurity created by the civil war gave way to forced migration.

1.2 JOURNEY BEYOND BORDERS

With the outbreak of the civil war in Syria at that time, the main aim of the brothers, who went from Syria to Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, and then through Austria to Germany (they participated in the Germany march at that time), is that Sara is under 18 years old. It consists of a story that begins with the hopes of obtaining a residence permit in Germany with family reunification.

1.3 The Migration Route from Syria to Europe, Its Challenges, The EU's Response, and The Importance of Turkey-Greece at This Point in 2015

There is a large flow of migrants and refugees fleeing the devastating conflict in Syria due to their migration to Europe from Syria. Thousands of people took perilous journeys across Europe in search of safety and better opportunities. The route involved dangerous sea crossings by overloaded and unseaworthy boats from Turkey to the Greek islands, resulting in many tragic incidents and loss of life. If we need to evaluate the EU intervention and political actions, the migration crisis that has been experienced has caused great difficulties for the EU based on coordinated actions and political reactions. First of all, the member states had different views on immigration and asylum policy in terms of burden sharing, but at this stage, it was seen that the development of a common approach and the disagreements caused delays. Despite all this, the EU adopted the EU-Turkey Declaration in 2016 and took essential steps to resolve the crisis. The agreement aims to control illegal immigration, ensure border security, and facilitate the return of immigrants to Turkey via Greece. The importance of 2015 for Turkey and Greece, on the other hand, brought the migration and refugee crises to the focal point of Turkey and Greece. The Turkish coast has been a starting point for many immigrants and refugees aiming to reach Greece, often risking their lives on dangerous sea voyages. The fact that the borders of the countries are very close to each other and transportation is easy has become a key point for migration. On the other hand, the influx of immigrants to Greece has put the country's reception and asylum systems into difficulties and has caused many negative situations, such as humanitarian aid and resource shortages.

CONCLUSION

The story of two sisters (Sara and Yusra) who had to leave their country due to the devastating results of the war, the story of two sisters who had to cross dangerous places at the borders of their country to leave their country due to the civil war, humanitarian crisis, violation of human rights and many other problems. It is a story about their struggle to survive by swimming in the Turkish-Greek sea, despite the danger of death on the dangerous boat journey they set out with the smuggler. The main inspiration for the film was the real-life story of the Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini.

REFERENCES

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5.     YÜZÜCÜLER (THE SWIMMERS) FİLM DEĞERLENDİRMESİ/ Sema BAYSAL ve Hacer UYGUR/ Aralık 21, 2022.