Turkey’s Erdogan threatens Syrians who burned country’s flag
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened on Tuesday Syrians who took to the streets in anti-Turkey protests in northern Syria and burned the Turkish flags.
Erdogan mentioned the term “break dirty hands” regarding those who protested against human rights violations that the Syrian refugees are subjected to in Turkey.
“Just as we know how to break dirty hands that encroach on our flag,” the Turkish President said in a press conference after a cabinet meeting.
Erdogan linked the anti-Turkey protests in Aleppo countryside with what he called, terrorist organizations, saying, “We know who is playing in these games staged with the remnants of the terrorist organisation.” He added, “…, will fall into this sly trap…we will not give in to racist vandalism.”
Erdogan ruled out any withdrawal in the near term from the Syrian territory reiterating his pretexts regarding the security of Turkey’s southern borders to target the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Ankara deems a threat to its national security.
On June 1, people of the towns and cities under the Turkish occupation and the control of the armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), of Aleppo Governorate in northwestern Syria, took to the streets to condemn discrimination acts and racist attacks against Syrian refugees in Turkey.
The protesters smashed the trucks and vehicles that held Turkish car number plates and burned the Turkish flags.
The Turkish forces responded to the protests with live fire, as they opened fire on the protests, killing five and injuring at least 40 others.
The protests were a response to the racist Turkish acts against the Syrian refugees in the Turkish city of Kayseri where a group of nationalist Turks attacked and set fire to houses and property of the Syrian refugees in the city following allegations that a Syrian man sexually harassed a child girl.
Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) criticized the Turkish government and president regarding Syria’s and refugees’ policy.
The CHP blamed the Turkish president and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for the recent violence against Syrians in the city of Kayseri.
The CHP accused Erdogan of causing the destruction of Syria and emphasized that Turkey should stick to the principle of non-interference it had maintained.