Turkey closes main border crossings with Syria after attacks on forces
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Turkey closed on Tuesday its border crossings with Syria after Turkish forces were attacked by residents in northwest Syria in response to attacks against Syrians in Turkey.
Turkey closed two main passenger and trade border crossings of Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salama, in addition to other smaller ones, a border official told Reuters.
Recent incidents in Turkey were sparked by social media reports that said a Syrian man had sexually abused a female child in the city of Kayseri, which led to attacks against Syrians and destruction of their properties.
Turkey’s intelligence agency (MIT) stated that the violence expanded to the provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Konya, Bursa, and a district in Istanbul. Some social media reports indicated that there were some injuries among Syrians.
Meanwhile, many Syrians protested in multiple towns in northwest Syria, which Turkey has occupied and stationed thousands of troops, in condemnation of the attacks against Syrian refugees in Kayseri.
Intense clashes occurred between protesters and Turkish forces in the city of Afrin where they opened fire and killed at least five people and injured 25 others.
Turkish Minister of Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, stated that the police in Turkey have arrested 474 people who were responsible for attacking Syrians throughout the country since June 30.