After two Syrians were killed in Turkey, remaining refugees are afraid for their lives

The killing of two Syrians in Turkey within a week has renewed fears of a return to xenophobic attacks on refugees while raising questions about accountability by Turkish authorities and the legal and diplomatic representation of Syrians in the post-Assad era.

These incidents are happening as the voluntary return of Syrians from Turkey continues at a significant pace following the liberation of their country at the end of 2024. Official Turkish sources indicate that about 760,000 refugees have returned to their country since December 2024, while about 2.296 million remain in Turkey.

Syrian Badr Kouja, 33, who has lived in Turkey since 2017 and works in home decoration, died in a crime committed in Gaziantep province in southern Turkey on Monday after being attacked in the neck with a sharp object following a verbal altercation with a factory owner. His brother Abdullah is still receiving treatment in a hospital in Gaziantep.

The second victim was a 14-year-old boy named Ali Daham Shihab in the southern city of Adana. He was an orphan who entered Turkey about a month ago to help his mother and seek treatment for his younger brother, according to sources in his hometown of Deir al-Zour in northeastern Syria.

Ammar Tahan, who lives in Gaziantep, the second-largest concentration of Syrian refugees in Turkey, told The New Arab, "The general perception of Syrians has changed since the liberation of Syria, and a large number of refugees in the province have voluntarily returned to their country."

"But the killing of Badr, who was from Khan al-Assal in the Aleppo countryside, brought back scenes from the past, when some parties exploited refugees, incited against them and considered them the cause of high prices and unemployment," he said, adding, "Peaceful coexistence prevails, but some Turks incite against Syrians and ask them why they do not leave now that their country has been liberated."

Human rights activist Taha al-Ghazi told TNA, "We are following up on the two crimes. We contacted the Haq Der human rights organisation in Istanbul and the Turkish Bar Association in Gaziantep province to begin taking legal measures and pursuing legal proceedings and prosecuting the attackers."

"The security authorities have arrested five people in connection with the killing of Badr and have begun questioning them. We are also following the investigation into the killing of the boy Shihab in Adana Province, and we learned that his family is facing harassment and threats," he said.

"We are currently preparing a report on the return of killings targeting Syrians in Turkey after we had expected racist behaviour to decline as a result of the beginning of Syrians' return following the liberation of the country and the strengthening of political, economic and social relations between the two countries," he added. "Opposition Turkish political figures and movements continue to spread hate speech and racist discrimination against Syrian refugees," Al-Ghazi said. "At the same time, the Turkish government continues to remain silent regarding holding inciters accountable or clearing some of them."

Regarding the role of Syrian opposition institutions, bodies, organisations and committees affiliated with them, al-Ghazi said they "have been absent from most of the incidents involving Syrian refugees. For the most part, they prefer to market Syrians according to the stereotype of people in need and the poor. This is a wrong policy used by some institutions to ensure the continuation of their existence and funding."

"We hope today, after the embassy was reopened and the consulates in Istanbul and Gaziantep were activated, that we will not see disregard for Syrian lives, delays or the dilution of justice in holding the perpetrators accountable," he said.

Turkish academic and analyst Bakir Atajan told The New Arab that the racism used by some Turkish opposition parties against Syrians and the incitement during domestic elections have largely faded because the authorities are pursuing and prosecuting those who incite.

He pointed out that there is broad Turkish support regarding Syria and Syrians following the liberation, saying, "The condemned crimes in Gaziantep and Adana also happen to Turks. I am not exonerating or justifying them, but we should not give the issue a national or racist dimension."

Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.