Foreigners in Turkey consistently face violence, with an increasing number of assaults against Arabs, particularly Syrians. Surveillance cameras and mobile phones document these incidents, which often end in fatalities. Despite government officials denying the existence of "racism" in Turkey, attacks occur daily. The most recent victim was a Syrian young man named Ezzeldin Al-Assani, who was assaulted by Turkish citizens, resulting in him falling into a coma.
According to information gathered by "Al-Arabiya.net" from Turkish sources, 15-year-old Syrian boy Ezzeldin Rashed Al-Assani experienced a racially motivated attack in the Turkish city of Izmir on Sunday. Al-Assani was living with his family in Kayseri but left that city with them following a wave of violence faced by Syrians there at the beginning of July, during which Syrian properties were attacked.
Al-Assani has five brothers who moved with his family to live in the coastal city of Izmir. However, this young man, who had previously survived attacks in Kayseri, faced an assault in his new residence where he started working just days ago. In Izmir, Al-Assani joined his cousin's car wash and was subjected to a racist attack by a Turkish young man, simply for being Syrian, according to Turkish media reports.
The 15-year-old sustained severe injuries, including a brain hemorrhage, a skull fracture, a broken nose, and damaged teeth. He was immediately transported to the hospital, where he underwent a four-hour surgery and is currently in intensive care. Al-Assani is presently struggling significantly, having lost his memory and unable to speak or see well. Instead of receiving support, the boy's family has reportedly received threats from the perpetrator's father, who warned that if they filed a complaint against his son, the injured boy and his family would be deported from the country.
Another Syrian young man was stabbed to death in Antalya after being stopped by three individuals who exited motorcycles, killing him for no apparent reason and fleeing the scene on July 3. The victim, Ahmad Al-Nayef, a 17-year-old refugee, was walking on a street in the Serik district of Antalya before being fatally stabbed.
