Source: Kayseri OLAY Newspaper
Photo caption: Some workplaces were set on fire during an event in Kayseri (Photo: https://www.kayseriolay.com/) July 1, 2024
Updated 43 minutes ago
In Kayseri, a man who was declared a Syrian national was arrested on suspicion of harassing an underage girl. The accusation prompted some city residents to attack known migrant-related sites. Interior Minister Ali Elikaya said 67 people had been detained.
Yerikaya said an investigation had been conducted into the social media posts and that investigations had been opened into 63 accounts.
The minister also announced that 10 people had been referred to the prosecutor’s office.
Yerlikaya said 68 percent of the 343,000 posts about the incident were “provocative and negative.”
Public Relations Director Fahrettin Altun also announced that efforts were underway to tackle provocative posts.
In Kayseri, large groups gathered at specific points and damaged workplaces and vehicles suspected to belong to foreigners, prompting police intervention.
The Kayseri Chief Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the events in the city and imposed a broadcast ban.
The governor of Kayseri province announced that the Syrian child had been placed under state protection.
The Ministry of Family and Social Services announced it would intervene in the case.
Erdogan also targeted the opposition over the incident in Kayseri, saying “the poisonous rhetoric of the opposition is the cause of what was caused by a small group of people. Their acts of vandalism are unacceptable.”
CHP Chairman Ozgür Ozer responded to Erdogan’s words.
Ezeru said, “There is only one government. What does it mean when it says ‘I am responsible for everything’? If that means you are responsible too.”
Ezer also called for common sense regarding what happened in Kayseri, saying: “If we try to impose punishment ourselves or try to use force instead of the police or the gendarmerie, we will end up in the wrong situation. To prevent these events from happening, we must solve the refugee problem.”
Tensions on the streets of Kayseri have reignited debate among politicians over refugee policy.
So what happened in the city, and how did we get to this point in an area with a high concentration of Syrians?
Photo caption, footage of crowd intervention in Kayseri
What do we know about this claim?
Allegations were raised last weekend that Syrians had harassed an underage girl in the Danishmentgazi neighborhood of Kayseri’s Melikgazi district.
Anadolu Agency reported that I.A. (26), a Syrian national, is suspected of sexually abusing his uncle’s daughter, 7-year-old Syrian M.A., in a toilet in a nearby market.
Following this accusation, Prosecutor General Kayseri launched an investigation.
The provincial governor of Kayseri said the suspect, who is said to be Syrian, was detained “following harassment of a child of Syrian nationality.” He was later arrested.
But as the allegations spread among city residents, they sparked further resentment and anger towards Syrian migrants.
How did tensions rise on the streets?
After hearing the news, crowded groups took to the streets and gathered at specific locations.
Videos were shared on social media of groups marching in the streets, some chanting anti-immigrant slogans.
In areas known to have large concentrations of Syrians, such as Eskisehir Baglari, workplaces and vehicles were set on fire or damaged.
Footage of local residents taking to the streets at night, setting some shops on fire and vandalising vehicles was widely shared on social media.
Kayseri provincial police chief Atanur Aydin, who visited the area, said in a statement: “The victim is not Turkish. The suspect is now in custody,” he said, urging nearby residents to go to their homes.
Kayseri’s governor also called for moderation in social media comments and tried to calm the crowds with messages that people had been detained.
Images shared in daylight drew attention to the extent of the damage, with vehicles, shops and merchandise smashed and upside down in the streets.
Fourteen police officers and one firefighter were injured in the violence.
The Ministry of Family and Social Policies intervenes in the case
The Ministry of Family and Social Services said it would intervene in the case, placing the abused child, along with his mother and siblings, in state custody.
A written statement from the ministry said: “A psychosocial support process for the child and his family has been initiated by a team of experts. The ministry will intervene in the case process and follow up closely to ensure that the issue is resolved. Offenders will receive the heaviest punishment.”
Kayseri Criminal Justice of the Peace No. 2 has opened an investigation into the harassment allegations.
A news ban was also imposed on the case, including on social media, during the investigation.
The judge also issued a restrictive order on the investigative files.
Finally, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced in a statement on social media that 67 people had been detained following the violence, and reacted to the incident by saying that Syrians’ homes, workplaces and vehicles had been damaged by “illegal acts.”
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Syrian immigration debate intensifies
Following the alleged abuses and tensions in Kayseri, debate has reignited among politicians over policy towards Syrian migrants.
On social media, Kayseri’s parliament members and some government and opposition figures responded to Turkey and the large number of Syrians living in the city.
Some politicians have repeatedly called for the Syrians to be repatriated.
Ismail Ozdemir, deputy head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and deputy chairman of Kayseri, said on his social media account. “As the MHP, it is our expectation that our Syrian guests be able to return to their country with dignity as soon as possible,” he said.
Dursun Atash, deputy from the Cuidi Kayseri party, declared patience was over, sharing the message that “we don’t want Syrians in our country or in our cities.”
CHP Kayseri deputy Ashkun Genc also shared a video from a city street, saying, “They are talking about 150,000 migrants in Kayseri. Neither this city nor this country can cope with this,” he said.
“This is not a political issue, it is a national issue. The government must immediately get its act together and take concrete steps on this issue. The return of Syrians to their country must be ensured,” Genci said.
AKP Kayseri deputy Ayse Behlur also shared a post calling for citizens to exercise restraint.
“Regarding the sad incident that occurred in our city, our security forces and relevant agencies intervened swiftly and effectively and took the necessary measures. Our children are in their care,” Bächler said. “We ask our compatriots not to rely on any information other than those released by the authorities.”
In a statement on his social media accounts, Victory Party Chairman Umit Ozdag said the incident showed “how much anger the AKP’s unchecked refugee and illegality policy has caused,” adding:
“Even in a city like Kayseri, which is nationalistic, conservative and has a strong AKP, this buildup of anger does not bode well. The political, economic and demographic pressures caused by 13 million refugees/illegal immigrants can no longer be managed.”
