Public order a red line for Türkiye: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stressed that public order is a red line for the country, following an isolated criminal incident in central Türkiye that escalated into riots both within the country and in Syria amid ongoing efforts to normalise relations between Ankara and the Bashar al Assad regime.

On Monday, angry crowds in Kayseri, Türkiye, set fire to numerous properties owned by Syrian nationals, reacting to an incident of a Syrian individual sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl. The unrest also spread to other cities, albeit with lesser intensity.

President Erdogan called for an end to the violence, saying Türkiye "will resolve the issue of refugees not based on prejudices or fears, but with a rational, conscientious framework based on realities of the country and economy."

"Public order is a red line for our state. Regardless of the excuse, we will not tolerate this line being crossed or violated," he stressed, adding that stoking xenophobia and anti-refugee hatred is detrimental to all.

Simultaneous provocation

As authorities called for calm, Syrian demonstrators in opposition-controlled areas burned trucks bearing Turkish licence plates and vandalised Turkish flags.

The Syrian National Army, representing the opposition in Syria, condemned the incidents and raised the Turkish flag with a message of unity and brotherhood. Fahim Issa, a prominent commander of the Syrian opposition forces, urged Syrians to resist provocateurs aiming to sow discord with their “Turkish brothers”.

Back in Türkiye, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the Syrian national accused of abusing a child was apprehended. In addition, 67 people were detained in the attacks.

"Türkiye is a state of law and order. Our security forces continue their fight against all crimes and criminals today, as they did yesterday," Yerlikaya stressed.

Amidst the violence, social media platform X saw a surge in extremist social media activity calling for the expulsion of Syrian refugees in Türkiye. Nevertheless, Yerlikaya revealed that a significant portion of the posts were generated by bots and were deemed provocative.

“We will not tolerate those who threaten the peace and security of our country, who make provocative posts and hate speech,” he stressed.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc echoed that sentiment, asserting that those who aim to sow seeds of discord in Türkiye “by discriminating, marginalising and using hate language will never achieve their goal.”

Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the Interior Ministry are actively coordinating the response to the riots in both Türkiye and northern Syria.

Türkiye’s refugee policy

Türkiye currently hosts millions of refugees – more than any other country in the world – including at least 3.6 million who have fled Syria since the outbreak of the civil war in 2012, most of whom are under temporary protection status.

In recent years, the host country has intensified efforts for the voluntary and safe return of the Syrians.

Ankara has voluntarily and honourably repatriated over 554,000 Syrian nationals to Syria’s opposition-held northern regions, which have seen significant improvements in infrastructure – including education and healthcare facilities – through Turkish support.

While creating a safe zone for Syrians, Türkiye is also focused on countering the PKK/YPG terrorist group, responsible for over 40,000 deaths in Türkiye since the 1980s.

The group also operates in northern Syria and Iraq, where they coordinate their attacks targeting Turkish forces while imposing their separatist agenda on the local people and carrying out terrorist activities on their land.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Turkish foreign ministry underscored Türkiye’s commitment to fostering "peace, stability, and prosperity" in its policies regarding the Middle East and Syria.

The ministry further emphasised Türkiye’s "principled stance" since the onset of the Syrian crisis, highlighting its adherence to “international law, humanitarian values, and global justice.”