Attack on Syrian refugee shops in Turkey following an altercation
Dozens of angry Turks smashed cars and shops believed to belong to Syrian refugees in Ankara, prompting police to intervene, local media reported Thursday.
“The riot broke out late Wednesday, following a scuffle between Turkish residents and possibly Syrian refugees, during which a Turk was stabbed to death, local media said.”
Photographs circulated on social media showed dozens of angry men breaking through a police cordon and smashing cars and shops.
“The demonstrations and events that took place in the Altendag district have ended because of the patience of our citizens and the hard work of our security forces,” the Ankara governor’s office said Wednesday night.
He added that « our people have asked that provocative news and comments not be credible », referring to the disagreement that caused the unrest.
The state-run Anadolu news agency said two “foreign nationals” had been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the deadly dispute.
This tension comes at a time when polls show growing anti-refugee sentiment among many Turks.
“Turkey is home to 3,6 million Syrian refugees, under a 2016 agreement with the European Union to prevent refugee flows to its countries.” The parties are currently working to amend the agreement.
“In return for setting up refugee camps in the southeast that currently house more than four million people, Ankara received billions of dollars in funding.”
Last month, the main opposition party sparked controversy by pledging to “repatriate” Syrian refugees if they come to power in the 2023 general elections.
Turkey’s widely watched news-verification platform TEIT this week revealed several misleading comments on social media about refugees, many of them concerning Afghans.
“The issue is receiving increased attention as the Taliban insurgents make rapid gains in Afghanistan, which could lead to an influx of migrants once the withdrawal of foreign troops is completed at the end of this month.”
Turkey is one of the main corridors for Afghan migrants seeking shelter in Europe.
