The Presidential Communications Directorate is closely following developments about the surge in provocations against Syrians in Türkiye, communications chief Fahrettin Altun said Monday.
In a statement, Altun said the recent provocations, which have increased tensions and negative sentiment against Syrian refugees, are being closely watched.
He continued by saying that all relevant institutions of the state are working around the clock under the coordination of the Communications Directorate against the spread of unfounded allegations and manipulated information on social media, which aim to provoke citizens.
He also called on citizens to act with caution and only take into consideration information and content shared by reliable sources.
Altun's comments came after riots broke out over the sexual abuse of a Syrian child by a Syrian man in Kayseri province.
An angry mob stormed several neighborhoods of Kayseri’s Melikgazi district early on Monday after 26-year-old I.A., identified only by his initials, was caught sexually abusing M.A., the 7-year-old daughter of his uncle, in a public restroom.
The crowd was said to be looking for the suspected abuser as they set fire to shops and stoned the homes of foreigners in the district.
Police intervened with tear gas and 14 officers and a firefighter were injured as they struggled to disperse the crowd. Sixty-seven people were detained after the attacks, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.
Meanwhile, Minister Yerlikaya said a total of 343,000 posts were made about the incident on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) since June 30.
He noted that 37% of these posts were made by bots, while 68% of the posts were made with the intention of provoking hatred. An investigation was launched against 63 accounts and 10 of these account holders were transferred to the prosecutor's office, while legal proceedings for the rest are still ongoing.
"We will give no respite to those who threaten the peace and security of our country and make provocative posts and spread hate propaganda," Yerlikaya said.
Türkiye is home to at least 3.6 million Syrian refugees who fled the civil war in 2012, most of whom are under temporary protection status.
Growing far-right anti-refugee sentiments have increased the risk of violence against immigrants in Türkiye in recent years, where many refugees have been subjected to attacks in various towns across the country upon rumors they were involved in cases of rape or murders against the local population.
Opposition parties like the secularist Republican People's Party (CHP), nationalist Good Party (IP) and far-right ultra-nationalist Victory Party (ZP) have extensively campaigned around sending Syrians back home ahead of last year’s national elections, blaming Syrians for the economic crisis, housing and rent issues.
Erdoğan advocates for a political solution to the Syrian crisis and the dignified, voluntary return of Syrians.
