The Roma community is awaiting solutions

World Roma Day is a significant occasion to celebrate the contributions of Roma communities to the cultural heritage and diversity of Anatolia, even if only once a year. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges Roma face in all aspects of life, including social exclusion and discrimination, and to emphasize the importance of unity and solidarity in combating these issues.

The Roma people, including groups such as the Rom, Dom, Lom, and Abdals, have lived in these lands for over a millennium. Prejudices and discrimination rooted in historical and social contexts remain the greatest barriers to their equal participation in social, cultural, economic, and political life. These biases also severely hinder their access to fundamental rights such as education, employment, housing, and social security, exacerbating the poverty they endure.

In addition to poverty, the issue of access to education for Roma children has reached alarming levels today. Many Roma children are forced to leave school at an early age due to financial constraints, while the few who manage to continue their education often face exclusion. They are unfairly isolated in schools and classrooms of low quality, depriving them of equal educational opportunities.

Lacking access to quality education, Roma individuals encounter prejudice and discrimination in the labor market, limiting their employment opportunities. They are often relegated to temporary, low-paying, or unskilled jobs. The unemployment rate among Roma communities averages 85%, the highest among vulnerable groups. Moreover, the pandemic and the devastating earthquake in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023, have further deepened these challenges.

Poverty is both a consequence of and a contributor to the prejudice and discrimination faced by Roma in every aspect of life. Discriminatory statements and hate speech, particularly those perpetuated or amplified by the media, not only reinforce these biases but also lead to greater exclusion of vulnerable groups like the Roma.

In some regions, local authorities, rather than protecting Roma from hate speech and lynch attempts in the neighborhoods where they have lived for centuries, pressure them to leave their homes. Forced relocations often lead to further isolation and impoverishment, as Roma are placed in areas far from employment opportunities and the rest of society.

Additionally, urban transformation policies widely implemented in recent years have thrust Roma communities into deeper poverty and exclusion. Urban transformation not only demolishes physical walls but also destroys the living spaces, cultures, and social bonds of Roma communities. Urban transformation dismantles lives, cultures, and humanity itself. What Roma demand is not urban transformation but social transformation and renewal in place. They wish to continue living in the neighborhoods they have been a part of for centuries, rather than being displaced to the outskirts of cities.

In recent years, there has been an increase in interest in the culture, history, and social issues of the Roma community, and some of their demands have begun to be considered by authorities. However, nearly all their demands regarding rights guaranteed by international agreements, constitutional provisions, and laws—such as access to education, housing, employment, healthcare, social security, and public services—remain unresolved.

On the occasion of World Roma Day, which holds great significance for the Roma community, and in light of the upcoming Presidential and 28th Term Parliamentary Elections on May 14, 2023, we once again call on all political party representatives.

We demand concrete steps to address the issues faced by Roma and Roma groups, including Rom, Dom, Lom, and Abdals, particularly concerning the following:

• Ensuring the participation and representation of all segments of the Roma community in the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation processes of all support programs, policies, strategies, and action plans concerning Roma.
• Encouraging the involvement of Roma citizens in political decision-making mechanisms.
• Creating legal regulations to prevent hate speech, social exclusion, and discriminatory attitudes against Roma and enforcing existing legal sanctions to address such incidents.
• Developing economic support packages for Roma severely affected by the pandemic and the devastating Kahramanmaraş earthquake, and taking measures to protect the Roma community economically.
• Formulating national policies and strategies aimed at the social inclusion of Roma and addressing their issues, allocating dedicated budgets and funds, and preparing and swiftly implementing short, medium, and long-term action plans.
• Officially recognizing social exclusion and discrimination stemming from prejudice and stereotypes against Roma and taking measures to combat this issue, including the development of strategies and action plans.
• Reflecting official narratives and statements about Roma in a positive framework aligned with and strengthening the principles of a democratic society, respect for human rights, and the rule of law, particularly in the fields of education, politics, and media.
• Increasing awareness and visibility regarding the rich history and culture of Roma and supporting initiatives by the Roma community in this regard.