Human Rights Association: Syrians Don’t Have Safety of Life in Adana

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The Central Office and Adana Branch of Human Rights Association (İHD) have prepared a report on the attacks that targeted Syrian refugees in Turkey's Mediterranean province of Adana on September 19.

CLICK - Child Abuse Claims Lead to Attacks Against Syrian Refugees

Sharing the accounts of the attacked Syrians and pictures from the scene of incident, the report has indicated the following in brief:

* The shutters of stores owned by Syrians along the Mirzaçebi neighborhood were mostly broken. The stores were also broken in and plundered.

* "Turkish" and "TC" [Republic of Turkey] were written on the shutters.

* All shops owned by Syrians were closed.

'Security measures were not sufficient'

* It has been identified that the ones who launched the attack were not the residents of the neighborhood and came from other neighborhoods.

* It has been detected that security forces did not take sufficient security measures that would prevent the incidents and intervened late.

* According to the allegations of anonymous witnesses, security forces allowed some people from the assaulting group to march.

* It has been detected that some Syrians have abandoned their homes.

* According to the allegations of eyewitnesses, there has prevailed the opinion that this incident will escalate.

'Damages incurred by Syrians should be compensated'

In the evaluation part of its report, the İHD has indicated that "the person or persons who spread the rumor that the perpetrator of the child abuse incident might be Syrian has not been identified" and underlined that such rumors "can bring about a serious social problem and indignation".

The Association has also stressed that "the ones who cannot think about the main reasons of socio-economic problems existing in the country and cannot develop a solution for them are making Syrians 'scapegoats'."

Raising concerns over the discriminating remarks and hate speech targeting Syrians in both daily life and printed and visual media, the İHD has indicated that such a language creates a false perception about Syrians in Turkey.

"In fact, according to the data released by the Ministry of Interior, the incidents involving Syrians in 2014-2017 accounted for only 1.32 percent of all incidents across Turkey", the Association has emphasized.

Concluding their report, the İHD Central Office and Adana Branch have said, "We, as the Human Rights Association Adana Branch, condemn the racist, discriminatory and othering attacks that occured in the province of Adana.

"We demand that the damages incurred by the aggrieved Syrians be compensated, perpetrators of this action be effectively investigated, thereby uncovering the material fact, and Syrians' safety of life and property be ensured." (EMK/SD)

* Photographs: İHD