Businesses belonging to Syrians were attacked by Turkish citizens after false rumors of a fight with police officers in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa.
A group of around 150 people attacked businesses after hearing that a fight erupted between police officers and a “Syrian,” while in fact the man was a local from the province.
The man, identified only as Mehmet K., started to argue with his girlfriend. Upon seeing the incident, police teams intervened but Mehmet K. resisted them. Locals witnessing the incident assumed that Mehmet K. was a Syrian and themselves tried to attack him.
Mehmet K. was taken to a nearby bakery by the police in order to calm the crowd. Meanwhile, people had started to gather in the area and Mehmet K. was taken to police headquarters under tight security measures in an armored vehicle.
Police warned Şanlıurfa residents about provocative posts shared on social media, but a group of around 150 people gathered in the center of the district and attacked businesses belonging to Syrians.
Syrians, meanwhile, closed their shops after the attacks and tried to shelter in their homes.
Tension continued to rise after the group started shouting slogans. They then started trying to attack Syrians they saw on the street, before attacking Syrian businesses with rocks and sticks.
After the escalation of tension, police took security measures with armored vehicles in the neighborhoods and streets where Syrians live.
Police also released another statement, saying provocations were spreading on social media warning against those who want to “create chaos” by bringing Syrians and local Şanlıurfa residents into confrontation. The authorities also stated that Mehmet K., who engaged in a fight with the police, was not Syrian.
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