Hate speech against Armenians, Syrians, Kurds on the increase, warns İHD

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Releasing an open letter, the Human Rights Association (İHD) has called on political parties to fight against racist hate speech.

Saying that there has been an increase in hate speech in Turkey, the İHD noted, "We would like to specifically note that if hate speech is not controlled, it triggers violence and causes hate crime."

"As the İHD, we regard it necessary to draw your party's attention to racism, which is spreading and becoming ordinary in Turkey. We can see this reality in the attacks on Kurds just because they are Kurds, attacks on Syrians just because they are Syrians and in the racist hate speech against Armenians because of the recent armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia," said the letter.

Citing its hate crimes report published in September, the İHD noted that seven people, including three children from Syria, were killed and 32 people were injured in 14 racist attacks in the first eight-and-a-half months of the year.

Fifteen people were killed and 1,097 people were injured in 280 attacks since 2010, according to the İHD.

In the letter, the İHD pointed out the incident where a convoy of cars with Azerbaijan flags toured around the İstanbul Armenian Patriarchate while blaring horns and said, "Even those who don't say anything in favor of Armenia but just want peace are accused of treason."

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It also mentioned a pro-government think tank's newspaper advertisement against Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Garo Paylan, saying that he has now become a target for racist attacks.

"Throughout this period, social media has become a space for swear, insults and threats against Armenians. Messages were posted about the expulsion of not only immigrants but also Armenians of Turkey," it said.

In this period, all political parties have a task to create an anti-racist culture, the İHD further noted. (AS/VK)