Locals protest Syrians in Turkey’s southeast after alleged knife attack

Four people reportedly confronted and attacked 22-year-old Sedat Alındı, who was heading home from work, with a knife before taking his cellphone. Alındı was heavily wounded on his arm by the group.

Locals in the Türk Meydanı neighborhood claimed that the fleeing assailants were Syrians, and a group of protesters, including children and the local neighborhood head, subsequently gathered at a park to protest against Syrians in the area.

“We don’t have either peace or life security anymore. We want theft incidents against our people by those people to be prevented as soon as possible,” village chief Mustafa Sarıkınacı said.

Recently, two people were killed and another three were wounded in a fight between Syrians and Turks that erupted over the kicking of a stray dog in the Beyşehir district of the Central Anatolian province of Konya on July 9.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş described the incident in Konya as “concerning.”

“The incident in Konya is dire and concerning. Someone may be provoking things. There may be some who want to build xenophobia and racist reflexes in Turkey. I don’t think this will be successful,” Kurtulmuş told reporters in Ankara at a press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting on July 11.