Turkey Closes Border Crossings with Syria Following Outbreak of Violence

According to a source opposed to the Syrian government and residents of northwestern Syria, a group of people angry over recent attacks on their compatriots in Turkish cities attacked Turkish army soldiers stationed in these areas with firearms and cold weapons. In response to these events, the Turkish government closed the main border crossings with northwestern Syria on Monday, July 2. Simultaneously, the Turkish Interior Minister announced that during police operations overnight, 474 individuals involved in attacks on Syrian communities across the country were arrested. A new wave of violence and unrest began on Sunday and has spread throughout Turkey. Following the accusation of a Syrian man for sexually assaulting a young girl from his relatives, which was circulated on social media, homes and vehicles of Syrian citizens in the city of Kayseri were attacked and, in some cases, set on fire. The Interior Minister stated that responsible authorities have begun investigating this accusation. The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) reported on Tuesday, July 3, that the wave of violent attacks and confrontations has spread to other cities, including Konya, Gaziantep, Hatay, and several neighborhoods in Istanbul. Some social media posts indicate that several Syrian citizens have been injured. In response to these events in Turkish cities, hundreds of residents from several cities in northwestern Syria, controlled by the Turkish army and rebel groups opposing Bashar al-Assad's regime, protested. A Turkish border guard official told Reuters that in response to the current situation in northwestern Syria, the government has decided to close all border crossings in the region until further notice. This decision includes Bab al-Hawa, Bab al-Salam, and other smaller border crossings, which are the only routes for passenger transit and goods transfer to areas controlled by rebels with a population of about three million in northwestern Syria. The city of Afrin, along the Syrian border with Turkey, witnessed the deadliest clashes. During armed confrontations between armed protesters and Turkish army soldiers, at least four people were killed. In other cities, scattered armed clashes occurred, with protesters attacking Turkish army vehicle convoys with stones and tearing down the country's flags from government buildings. Several Turkish government officials described the events on Monday in northwestern Syria as a result of 'provocative' actions. The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated, 'Using the tragic events in Kayseri as a pretext for provocative actions outside our borders is incorrect.' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held opposition groups responsible for the attacks on Syrian nationals and, without providing any evidence, accused his opponents of inciting racism against the three million Syrian refugee population. He stated on Monday, 'Inciting xenophobia and hatred against refugees will lead to no results.' Last Friday, the Turkish President mentioned that a meeting with Bashar al-Assad aimed at normalizing relations between the two countries is possible. Turkey severed its relations with Damascus at the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011 and has supported rebel groups opposing the Syrian government throughout the war.