Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has introduced that 474 arrests have been made in reference to widespread assaults by Turkish nationalist mobs in opposition to Syrian refugees throughout the nation. On the similar time, Turkish media reviews that Turkish reinforcements are being despatched to areas of northern Syria, the place riots have erupted in opposition to the presence of Turkish forces which have managed the area since 2016.
The spate of assaults in opposition to Syrians started on Sunday night time, June 30, in Caesarea, central Turkey, after data or rumors circulated within the metropolis {that a} Syrian refugee tried to sexually assault a 7-year-old woman, with whom he’s reportedly associated. The unfold of the declare on social media become assaults and arson in opposition to migrant workplaces and autos within the metropolis, and the assaults quickly unfold to not less than 10 Turkish cities.
Based on pictures, movies and posts on social media accounts, through the night time, companies and autos belonging to immigrants have been vandalized in Alexandretta, Bursa, Kilis, Iconium, Urfa, Adana, Gaziantep, Izmir , Antalya and Istanbul, whereas demonstrations with racist traits in opposition to immigrants have been organized.
On the similar time, within the areas of Al-Bab, Azez, Al-Rai, Idlib, 'Afrin and different areas of northern Syria the place they’re managed by the Turkish military and the Syrian Nationwide Military of the Syrian opposition, riots broke out in opposition to the presence of Turkish forces. Armed protesters attacked vehicles with Turkish license plates and two branches of the Turkish Put up Workplace (PTT). In addition they took down Turkish flags from masts, which they burned or destroyed, whereas demanding that solely the Syrian flag utilized by the opposition and the Syrian Nationwide Military be used. After this improvement, assaults in opposition to Syrians in Turkey escalated.
Learn additionally: Turkey: Handcuffs to 474 folks after riots in opposition to Syrians
Turkish media reported that reinforcements of the Turkish military and police are being pushed into northern Syria, whereas the border between the 2 nations stays closed.
Current indications of a possible “imminent understanding” between Ankara and Assad in Damascus are seen as “one of many causes for the assaults in opposition to the Turkish presence within the area”, as a number of members of the Syrian opposition organizations and males of the Syrian Nationwide Military really feel that Ankara abandons them to be able to restore its relations with Damascus and the Assad regime. Ankara's want to succeed in out to Bashar al-Assad's regime stems from its want to eradicate from northern Syria the US-backed and regionally dominant Kurdish militia of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Kurdish PYD faction, which the Turkish authorities accuses it of being a department of the PKK group, which acts in opposition to Turkey.
Talking after the assembly of the Council of Ministers, this Tuesday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke of “provocations” and a “chaos plan” arrange in Caesarea. “We’re a rustic that has develop into proof against the plans of chaos” by brokers and provocateurs, the Turkish president mentioned, referring to related darkish plans prior to now and claiming that even now “the identical plan of chaos was arrange by way of a particularly disgusting and shameful case of harassment in Caesarea”.
He additional claimed that the second act of this challenge was set in opposition to Turkish pursuits and the Turkish presence in northern Syria. “God prepared, neither we nor our nation nor our Syrian brothers will fall into this treacherous entice. I wish to emphasize right here once more that we are going to not bow to hate speech, fascism, racist vandalism and provocations. We all know the way to break the arms of those that flip in opposition to the oppressed individuals who discover refuge in our nation, simply as we all know the way to break the soiled arms that attain out to our flag,” he added.
The Turkish president additionally emphasised that nobody can change the police, judges and the state within the nation.
He introduced that after the incidents in Caesarea “474 rioters have been arrested”, whereas the Turkish intelligence companies are conducting intensive work in relation to the incidents.
On the similar time, he identified that “the forces of the Syrian Nationwide Military and our Turkish safety forces intervened collectively within the incidents in northern Syria, whereas the interim authorities declared by the Syrian opposition publicly said that it condemns within the strongest manner the assaults in opposition to our superb flag. The treason try failed as soon as once more.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan additionally asserted that Turkey has no ambitions for anybody's territory and sovereignty. “The safety of the territorial integrity and nationwide unity of Syria is a precedence for Turkey” he emphasised and underlined that “we need to see a democratic, affluent and powerful Syria. We wish to see Syria develop into a protected place for the hundreds of thousands of people that have been pressured to flee their properties.”
Lastly, in an try and fend off the accusations of opposition circles for the gathering within the nation of numerous Syrian refugees, Tayyip Erdogan mentioned: “We now have all the time inspired the voluntary, protected and dignified return of our Syrian brothers. 670 thousand folks returned to northern Syria, which we cleared of terrorism. One other 1 million will likely be added to this quantity. We will likely be blissful if we are able to create a local weather so that everybody can return to their homeland voluntarily and peacefully.”
Supply: RES-EMP
