Syrian refugee family target of racist attack in southeast Turkey
A Syrian family in Turkey's southeastern Gaziantep was attacked with rocks in their home, the daily Evrensel reported on March 29. The mother of the family has said that they have been living in Gaziantep for the last six years but do not feel safe.
Duvar English
A Syrian refugee family in southeastern Gaziantep was attacked with rocks in their home, the daily Evrensel reported on March 29.
"Our lives aren't safe. They threw rocks in our house. Why are we constantly subject to this racism?" the mother of the family was heard saying in Arabic in a video.
The family has lived in Gaziantep for six years, but they don't feel safe, the mother said.
"My child got hit in the eye. The kids are afraid to hear the word 'Turkish," the mother said.
After the family shared images of the house having been attacked, Gaziantep Gov. Davut Gül released a statement saying that the incident had stemmed from a "neighbor quarrel."
"This is no different from judicial incidents that occur between Turks or Syrians themselves. Our governor's office has been following up on the family with regards to the humane and security issues," Gül said.
More than 3.6 million refugees fled to Turkey following the war in Syria in 2011, but many Syrians say the welcome has worn thin. The Syrian community in Turkey has been the target of several violent attacks in recent years.