ALBAWABA - Following reports that a Syrian refugee in the Turkish state of Şanlıurfa had sexually abused a Turkish child, residents of the state called for protests against Syrian refugees in Turkey on social media, and videos of Turkish people assaulting Syrian businesses and shops throughout the city.
According to Turkish media, protestors attacked a number of Syrian shops and properties causing severe damage to them. The violence led the Turkish police to intervene to break the protests and calm the situation.
The alleged event occurred in the area of Bozova in Şanlıurfa. A claim that a Syrian baker (F.K) 21-year-old, had allegedly assaulted a 9-year-old boy, sparking anger and violence across the district.
Şanlıurfa Governor's Office made a statement on the alleged incident, reading: “On Monday, 14.08.2023, at around 22:15, a forensic case report was received from the state hospital of our Bozova district, and our teams were immediately deployed to the state hospital to carry out the investigation. following the declaration that the child was sexually abused by a foreign national referred to as (F.K.), an investigation was launched instantly and the suspect was arrested".
Violence against Syrian refugees
Violence against Syrian refugees has risen sharply in recent months, as Turks have explicitly expressed their refusal to host refugees on their territory for much longer.
Earlier in August, a Yemeni boy was killed after being brutally attacked by a group of people in Turkey. The incident has caused wide controversy on social media as Turk attacks against Arabs are on the rise.
A video showing around 50 people in Turkey attacking a 15-year-old Yemeni boy and a family member has gone viral on social media and triggered a wave of anger.
