Egyptian Al-Ro'ya News Network:-- Turkish media reported that groups of men targeted shops and property belonging to Syrians in Kayseri, central Turkey, on Sunday evening, after a Syrian was arrested on suspicion of harassing a minor.
Several video clips posted on social media show men smashing the window of a grocery store allegedly run by Syrian merchants, before setting it on fire.
Other pictures show young men working with stones and metal tools to destroy motorcycles and vehicles in the same area south of Kayseri, known for hosting many refugees.
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Police forces were deployed on Sunday evening in the city to try to restore calm.
Kayseri Province called on residents to exercise restraint, explaining in a statement that the minor (five years old) is also of Syrian nationality.
Turkey, which hosts about 3.2 million Syrian refugees, has repeatedly witnessed surges in xenophobia in recent years, often resulting from rumors spread on social media.
The fate of Syrian refugees regularly comes up in Turkish political debate, and opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vow to return them to Syria, who in turn pledged during the presidential election campaign in May 2023 to “prepare” for the return of a million Syrians to their country on a voluntary basis.
Source: RT+ AFP+ Turkish media
