Anti-Syrian attacks break out in Turkey

Turkey closed its main border crossing into northwest Syria until further notice, after violent riots against Syrian refugees broke out in half a dozen Turkish cities this week. The attacks erupted in the central Melikgazi region, where groups of men physically assaulted Syrian refugees and vandalised their shops and cars, after news spread that a Syrian man had been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a seven year-old girl. In response, protesters in northwest Syria – where Turkey holds sway in support of the rebels against the Assad regime – confronted Turkish soldiers, damaging their vehicles and tearing down Turkish flags. Over 400 people have been arrested by the Turkish police, and at least seven have died in the clashes, according to a war monitor. More than 3.1 million Syrian refugees have fled to Turkey during the civil war. In recent years, political rhetoric, a devastating earthquake and very high inflation have turned many people in Turkey against them.

The Turkish provinces with the highest concentration of Syrian refugees were the most affected by the earthquake in February last year, and a cost of living crisis has pushed many Turks into poverty.

The tensions may have been fuelled by the potential reconciliation between Turkey and the Assad regime: last week, President Erdogan said he would not rule out meeting Assad to try to restore diplomatic ties.