Turkey witnesses massive anti-Syrian riots, 470 detained for 'provocative actions'

Istanbul

Turkish authorities on Tuesday (Jul 2) detained over 470 people following anti-Syrian riots in several cities. The riots sparked after a Syrian man was accused of harassing a child. Tensions escalated Sunday (Jun 30) in the Syrian city of Kayseri as large crowds targeted Syrian businesses and properties.

Some videos emerged on social media, showing a Turkish man saying, "We don’t want any more Syrians! We don’t want any more foreigners.”

Interior minister Ali Yerlikaya informed on X that 474 people were detained on Tuesday for their "provocative actions." “474 people were detained after the provocative actions,” he wrote. The riots damaged "houses, workplaces, and vehicles belonging to Syrian nationals”, added the minister.

Earlier on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the opposition of fuelling tensions in the country and condemned the violence against Syrians as “unacceptable.”

“It is unacceptable to burn houses, vandalise and set streets on fire,” he said on Monday of the violence. “Nothing can be achieved by fuelling xenophobia and hatred of refugees in society,” he added.

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Several cities across the country saw anti-Syrian protests even as the president and authorities called for calm.

In the face of rising tensions, Turkish police said they were boosting security around the Syrian consulate in Istanbul by deploying an armoured truck and patrolling vehicles.

Notably, Turkey is home to more than 3.5 million Syrians, most of whom sought refuge in the nation after the civil war erupted in Syria in 2011.

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Most Syrians live under “temporary protection” status and many subsequently became Turkish citizens.

Anti-Syrian sentiments have risen in Turkey over the last years amid a dwindling economy and political chaos.

Such anti-Syrian riots had erupted in the nation in 2021 as well when a Turkish teenager was killed in a fight with a group of Syrian nationals in the capital Ankara.

(With inputs from agencies)