Anti-Syrian riots in Turkey after five-year-old girl is raped

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported the arrest of 67 participants in anti-Syrian riots in the city of Kayseri, which began after the arrest of a refugee from Syria on suspicion of raping a 5-year-old girl. He was detained by local residents and handed over to the police.

“After the arrest of a Syrian citizen for violence against an underage relative, some of our citizens, acting illegally and contrary to our values, damaged homes, workplaces and cars that belong to citizens of Syrian nationality,” the minister said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed the events in Kayseri on opposition parties, which he said were fueling xenophobia against refugees. The head of state himself had previously spoken of the need to create conditions for the voluntary return of three million Syrians home.

The unrest also spread to Turkish-controlled areas of northern Syria. A wave of anti-Turkish demonstrations swept through them, with residents tearing down Turkish flags and throwing stones at patrol cars. There were shootouts in several places. Four deaths were reported.