Earlier on Monday, foreign-owned shops and homes in Turkey’s central Kayseri province were damaged following allegations that a Syrian national had sexually abused a 7-year-old Syrian girl.
The unrest began late Sunday night when 26-year-old IA was caught abusing MA, his 7-year-old niece, in a public restroom in the Melikgazi district of Kayseri.
An angry mob, searching for the suspected abuser, ended up damaging businesses and stoning the homes and vehicles of foreigners.
Dozens of police officers, emergency teams, and firefighters were dispatched to the area as the crowd set fire to several shops and an overturned car.
Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd, resulting in injuries to 14 officers and a firefighter. By morning, the streets were calm.
Kayseri Governor Gökmen Çiçek addressed the crowd, urging calm and promising that such incidents would not be repeated.
Kayseri Police Chief Atanur Aydın pledged to deport the suspect and his family.
Nine people, including the suspect and the victim’s relatives, were transferred to the provincial deportation centre. A Syrian national was taken into custody related to the abuse.
An investigation is ongoing, and social media users who shared provocative posts are being scrutinized.
The Family and Social Services Ministry confirmed that the child and her family are under state protection and receiving psychological support.
A Kayseri court has restricted the investigation and imposed a broadcast ban to protect the victim and her family.
Good Party (IP) Chair Müsavat Dervişoğlu appeared to support the violence, calling refugees a national security threat and urging political action on the issue.
Anti-refugee sentiment has been rising in Turkey, where over 4 million refugees reside, including 3.6 million Syrians.
Opposition parties, including the IP, have fueled these sentiments, particularly targeting Syrian asylum-seekers.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been advocating for a political solution to the Syrian crisis and the voluntary return of Syrians.
So far, Türkiye has repatriated over 554,000 Syrians to areas in northern Syria controlled by Ankara-backed forces.
