Syrian properties in Ankara attacked after youth killed

A Syrian shop owner carries the broken door of his shop after a crowd of Turks attacked shops and homes belonging to Syrians overnight, in the wake of a street fight that led to a Turkish youth being fatally stabbed, in Ankara, Turkey August 12, 2021. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan

ANKARA, Aug 12 (Reuters) – A crowd of Turks attacked shops and homes belonging to Syrians in the Turkish capital Ankara overnight in the wake of a street fight that led to a Turkish youth being fatally stabbed, a witness and media reports said.

The windows of Syrians’ shops and homes were smashed and a vehicle was overturned and set on fire during the unrest in the Altindag district of Ankara. Police fired into the air at one point in an attempt to halt the violence, the witness said.

The trouble occurred after a fight between Turkish and Syrian youths on Tuesday. Broadcaster CNN Turk said one Turkish youth had died and one was wounded.

Two foreigners have been charged and remanded in custody over the death of the youth, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.

Ankara police said they had detained 76 people for involvement in the unrest or for making misleading posts on social media in order to provoke Turkish citizens after the fight in Altindag on Tuesday.

They said 38 of those detained had criminal records, including for looting, violence and burglary.

Turkish Red Crescent head Kerem Kinik shared a video on Twitter showing projectiles being thrown at houses.

“Which of our traditions involves stoning people’s houses at night? Many refugees contacted us and said they were worried for their children’s lives,” he said.

He shared a photo of a young child, their face covered with blood after being injured by a stone thrown through a window, who he said had been brought to hospital for treatment.

“Let us cool this fire. It is of no benefit to anybody.”

The Ankara governor’s office said on Twitter overnight that “protests and incidents” which occurred on Wednesday evening had ended.

Turkey hosts some 3.7 million Syrian refugees and the latest unrest comes amid concerns about growing numbers of Afghan refugees arriving in eastern Turkey from Iran amid the conflict in Afghanistan.

Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Giles Elgood and Kevin Liffey

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