'They fear to go to work': Demonstration against Syrian refugees in Turkey's industrial hotbed

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Dilovası, a district located in Kocaeli, known for its significant industrial production in Turkey, witnessed a demonstration against refugees yesterday evening, marked by the chanting of slogans like "We don't want Syrians."

Lütfü Türkkan, a Kocaeli MP representing the Good (İYİ) Party, a secular nationalist opposition party, shared a video showing a crowd brandishing sticks and said, "The events that began with Syrian refugees raiding a house in Dilovası, my city of Kocaeli, continued with the public taking to the streets tonight.

"Citizens are now dispersing, but they plan to gather in front of the District Governorate tomorrow evening to demand the departure of Syrians from Dilovası."

"Workers were unable to go to work"

Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a Kocaeli MP for the Green Left (Yeşil Sol) Party, told bianet that due to the fear instigated by yesterday's demonstration, rfugee workers were unable to go to work today.

Gergerlioğlu stressed the importance of addressing the incident as a legal matter, cautioning against transforming it into an expression of hatred. He called for restraint in the statements and appeals coming from the Dilovası District Governor's Office and the Kocaeli Governor's Office.

Further elaborating on the incident, Gergerlioğlu explained, "Tensions arose when Syrian children, around the age of seven or eight, threw stones at a dog. In response, the dog's owner assaulted the children. Subsequently, the dog was poisoned, and the family whose pet was killed retaliated by raiding the Syrian family's house."

Gergerlioğlu emphasized that the people seen approaching the houses with sticks in the circulated video were not Syrians, but rather individuals and their relatives who were affected by the death of their dog. He clarified that no attack had occurred on anyone's residence. He raised concerns about the prevailing sentiments among people on social media, saying, "It shouldn't escalate into hatred."

Gergerlioğlu also criticized MP Türkkan's stance, describing it as misleading.

Despite attempts to gather information from the authorities regarding the matter, Gergerlioğlu encountered difficulties, he said. When contacting the Dilovası District Governorate, they hesitated to provide information and directed him to the governor instead. Frustrated by the lack of assistance, he expressed, "We are trying to calm people down, but no one is helping us in this regard."

Highlighting the lax attitude displayed during the dispersal of the demonstrators who marched to the center of Dilovası the previous night, Gergerlioğlu criticized the minimal security measures taken.

Gergerlioğlu emphasized the role of the judiciary in determining the punishment for any crimes committed, stating, "In a country that claims to be a state of law, people are trying to make decisions by taking to the streets instead of relying on the judiciary. Thoughts, attitudes, activities, and calls that create a sense of hatred and incite violence are also fundamentally wrong."

He concluded by appealing to the public to avoid actions that escalate tensions in Dilovası, emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility.

Deportation

In parallel, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency, the Kocaeli Provincial Police Department confirmed that "foreign nationals who were found to be involved in the incident have been handed over to the Provincial Directorate of Immigration Authority for deportation."

The individuals implicated in the incident have been apprehended and are undergoing legal proceedings. Additionally, a sample from the deceased pet has been sent for analysis to determine the cause of its death. (TY/VK)