Three killed, five injured in deadly dispute between Syrians, Turks in Gaziantep

GAZİANTEP – Doğan News Agency

Three people were killed and five were injured after an argument between a Turk and Syrian escalated into a deadly shooting early on June 17 in the southern province of Gaziantep.

The incident in the Hoşgör district started as an argument that erupted between Turkish citizen Mustafa Okan, 46, and an unidentified Syrian living in the area on the same street.

As the dispute escalated the relatives of the two men joined the argument with knives and rifles, leading to the death of Mustafa Okan and his son.

Police reportedly arrived at the site of the incident and warned a Syrian firing his gun randomly to stop shooting. The Syrian was then injured in a police shooting and was dispatched to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The three people’s bodies were taken to the nearby Forensic Medicine Institute for an autopsy.

News of the deadly incident led tension to arise in the neighborhood between Turks and Syrians, prompting police to block off the area on June 17.