Four people were killed during protests in areas under Ankara's influence in northern Syria, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, with hundreds participating in response to acts of violence targeting Syrian interests in Turkey. The demonstrators expressed their anger following violent incidents that erupted after a Syrian was accused of harassing a girl, which targeted businesses and properties belonging to Syrians in the Turkish city of Kayseri, leading Turkish police to detain 67 individuals.
The director of the Syrian Observatory, Rami Abdul Rahman, reported protests "in wide areas" along the Turkish-controlled border in northern Syria "accompanied by acts of violence." Abdul Rahman stated that "four people were killed during exchanges of gunfire between protesters and guards at Turkish sites, three of whom were killed in Afrin and one in Jarabulus." According to the observatory, 20 others were injured.
**Armed Clashes**
Earlier, the observatory talked about "clashes with automatic weapons between armed protesters on one side and elements of the Turkish forces on the other, in front of the Seraya building in Afrin city in northern Aleppo." At that time, they reported the death of one protester and seven injuries requiring hospitalization.
**Urgent Alerts**
The situation escalated significantly, with the Turkish army leaving a military base in Aleppo as protests by Syrians against Turkey intensified. Footage emerged showing protesters at the base, accompanied by at least one M113 infantry fighting vehicle armed with a heavy M2 caliber 12.7 mm machine gun.
Protesters attempted to storm Turkish positions and remove Turkish flags, according to the observatory, which reported that guards at the locations responded by "opening fire to disperse them" in the city of Atarib and the town of al-Abzimo in western Aleppo countryside. The observatory also noted that protests extended to areas in neighboring Idlib controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and affiliated factions.
**Wave of Violence**
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the recent wave of violence against Syrian refugees in Turkey, stating, "Regardless of their identities, setting fire to streets and homes is unacceptable," emphasizing that hate speech should not be used for political gains. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya noted that Turkish citizens apprehended the suspect Syrian and handed him over to the police, mentioning on the platform "X" that it was suspected the Syrian harassed his Syrian relative.
Turkey, hosting approximately 3.2 million Syrian refugees, has experienced violence linked to xenophobia several times in recent years, often fueled by rumors spreading on social media and text messaging applications.
