Criminal complaint against two politicians, one physician for targeting refugees

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İsmail Çataklı, the Vice Minister of Interior, has made a statement on social media and announced that they will file a complaint against two politicians and one physician over their targeting remarks about Syrians.

Referring to the nationalist Victory Party Chair Ümit Özdağ, politician Sinan Oğan and Prof. Bengi Başer, Çataklı has tweeted:

"Some people who supposedly hold academic titles such as Ümit Özdağ, Sinan Oğan and Bengi Başer spread the lie that there are 8 million, 10 million Syrians in Turkey, they are engaging in xenophobia.

"Shame; I am ashamed of them in the name of humanity. Our Immigration Authority will file a criminal complaint."

Amid these debates, Hande Karacasu, the producer of the anti-migrant short film "Silent Invasion" (Sessiz İstila), which has sparked reactions on social media, and H.D., who allegedly administers the Twitter account "Militer Doktrin" (Military Doctrine), have been detained.

'I financed the film'

After the news was reported in the media, Victory Party Chair Ümit Özdağ has said, "Hande Karacasu, who made the documentary Silent Invasion, has been detained by the police and taken to the Sakarya Provincial Security Directorate. While the ones who talk about the threats against Turkey are detained, the ones plotting against our country are rewarded."

Noting that "Hande Karacasu is not on her own", Özdağ has said, "The short documentary Silent Invasion made by Hande Karacasu was assigned to her as an order by me. I met the production expenses. I approved the script. Karacasu has shown the consequences of the uncontrolled power. Syrians are not the 'people'. They are guests. There is no grudge/ hostility."

Başer and Oğan reacted

Facing a possible criminal complaint by the Immigration Authority, Sinan Oğan has argued that "he does not engage in xenophobia, but the vice minister engages in hostility towards the Turks."

Prof. Bengi Başer has also dismissed the accusations of "xenophobia" on her social media account, arguing that "the emphases put on the numbers announced by the Ministry of National Defense as well and their concerns stem from their love for the homeland itself." (RT/SD)