Attacks on Syrian refugees' homes, shops continue in Turkey's capital on the second day

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Attacks on Syrian refugees' homes, shops and vehicles continued in Altındağ, Ankara for the second day in a row.

Tensions escalated in the district after Emirhan Yalçın, 18, was killed after being stabbed in a fight between groups of locals and refugees on August 10. Two suspects have been remanded in custody for "murder in the first degree."

After the incident was heard, hundreds of people took to the streets and attacked refugees' homes and shops. The crowd was dispersed by the police.

Photos circulating on social media show damaged shops in Battalgazi Neighborhood.

All shops in Battalgazi Neighborhood, which hosts a large number of Syrian refugees, remained closed yesterday as a precautionary measure.

However, attacks on refugees resumed even more violently yesterday evening. Videos shared on social media show people throwing rocks at Syrians' homes and looting their shops.

A group of locals attack houses, workplaces and cars owned by Syrian #refugees in Ankara’s #Altındağ district. #StandUp4HumanRights https://t.co/a8WBVe7YUo pic.twitter.com/LrHJo8VpVH

— Stockholm Center for Freedom (@StockholmCF) August 11, 2021

Police made announcements on loudspeakers, saying, "Let's don't allow the environment of provocation in our country. Don't trust the provocative words of people that you don't know."

Journalist Nevşin Mengü said on Twitter that people chanted "police out" in some streets in Altındağ.

Also, some of the foreign nationals were evacuated from the district earlier in the day, according to Mengü.

Police used water cannon trucks to disperse crowds.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also warned the people against provocative actions. "I can see where this is going. I won't allow the palace government to set the country on fire. We will solve this refugee problem; and of course, we will do it with common sense."

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that it opened an investigation into social media posts and news articles that cause fear and panic among the people.

At 12.40 a.m., the Governor's Office of Ankara announced on Twitter that the events ended "thanks to the composure of our citizens and intense efforts by our security forces."

Refugees and migrants are in grave danger in #Turkey

A group of Turkish fascists torched dozens of shops, houses and cars owned by Syrians in Ankara’s Altındağ district following reports that a Syrian refugee stabbed two Turkish men in a fight. #Turkeypic.twitter.com/5EIqsZqy8X

— Adem Bedri (@AdemBdrByzd) August 11, 2021

Hosting some 3.6 million Syrian refugees and hundreds of thousands of refugees from other countries such as Afghanistan, Turkey is the world's largest host of refugees. 

Lately, anti-refugee sentiments have been on the rise in the country amid a new refugee wave from Afghanistan. Some politicians have tried to capitalize on that such as the mayor of Bolu, who vowed to increase city water prices for refugees by 10-fold.

The government has also faced criticism over a refugee deal with the European Union (EU), which has been in place since 2016.  Turkey agreed to keep Syrian refugees in exchange for financial support from the bloc according to the deal. 

Tensions are running high in Ankara’s outskirts, Altindag, after allegedly two Syrians killed one Turkish citizen and wounded another one

Youth had been parading all day in the neighbourhood, looking for Syrians. Reportedly they stoned houses pic.twitter.com/CAXK54gK3D

— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) August 11, 2021

(KÖ/VK)