Syrians 'raid border post in Turkey's Reyhanlı'

Burcu Özkaya Günaydın / DUVAR

A group of Syrians living in the Atme refugee camp has reportedly raided a border post in the Reyhanlı district of the southernmost province of Hatay. 

Hundreds of Syrians raided the post, burned wheat fields and threw explosives at a checkpoint, villagers in the area told Duvar on May 23. 

"We started hearing noises from the outside two days ago. We saw a lot of people on the other side of the border when we went out. They have opened fire on the post and threw an explosive," villagers from the Kuşaklı village said. 

"Some children were like shields at the front and some were recording with their phones. All the soldiers in the post would have died if there wasn't a concrete wall," they added. 

Saying that an additional unit was dispatched, the villagers noted that they are afraid and fear for their safety. 

"There are a lot of armed individuals close to us. We are not able to go to the olive groves near the border," they said. 

Far-right independent deputy Ümit Özdağ, meanwhile, claimed that the incident erupted because of a drug operation in the province. 

"Syrian mafia is saying, 'Don't touch my drugs.' Enough," Özdağ, a political figure known for his racist remarks and hate campaigns against Syrian refugees, said on Twitter on May 22. 

Turkish far-right deputy threatens Armenian MP Paylan with another genocidePolitics

Despite shortage in Turkey, 'Turkish gov't sends COVID-19 vaccines to Syrian rebels in Libya'Coronavirus