Violations against Syrians in Turkey continue amid silence from Turkish authorities

HATAY, Turkey — Two Syrian students were brutally assaulted in the Turkish state of Hatay by a group of Turkish youth after they learned of their Syrian nationality. The two Syrians suffered severe injuries and were transferred to a hospital for treatment

A video circulating on Turkish social media showed a group of young Turkish youth beating two Syrian students in Hatay on the border with Syria.

A human rights activist interested in the situation of Syrians in Turkey, Omar Khalil, stated that, “A group of Turkish youth intercepted some Syrian students while they were leaving a language learning center in the city of Karkakhan in the Turkish state of Hatay. After the Turkish youth knew that they were of Syrian nationality, they attacked the Syrians, repeating xenophobic phrases such as, “You either return to your country, or we will kill you here.”

This incident is not the first time that Syrian youth have been harassed in Turkey.

On 12 July, five Turkish youth raped a 15-year-old Syrian boy.

On 23 June, a group of Turkish youth attacked a 16-year-old Syrian boy and tried to steal his money and mobile phone in Istanbul.

A 9-year-old girl of special needs was also raped this year by a Turkish youth in Denizli Province, in western Turkey.

Turkish authorities have by and large remained silent about discrimination against Syrians in the country.