Over 470 People Arrested in Turkey Due to Unrest

More than 470 people have been arrested in Turkey's Kayseri province (in the south of the country) due to unrest, reported the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ali Yerlikaya, on social media.

“After the unrest in Kayseri, provocative protest actions against Syrians have been organized in several cities of our country. As a result of provocative actions involving illegal means, 474 people have been arrested. It has been determined that 285 of the arrested individuals have previous convictions for various crimes (illegal transportation of migrants, causing bodily harm, drugs, robbery, theft, property damage, sexual assault, fraud, counterfeiting, threats, insults, deprivation of personal freedom, etc.),” wrote Yerlikaya.

“Let us not fall for provocations. Let us be restrained. Let us not commit crimes that harm people, the environment, and property through illegal means. Our state is strong. Those who think about committing crimes against our state and our nation will receive a deserved response,” the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasized.

The Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that approximately 37% of the messages related to the disturbances in Kayseri on social media were posted by bots, and about 70% of the messages were written for the purpose of incitement. An investigation has been launched concerning 63 social media accounts, of which ten have already been held accountable.

Unrest erupted on Sunday in Turkey's Kayseri province after police arrested a Syrian man in connection with violence against a Syrian child, who was his relative. The child has been placed under the care of authorities, and the man has been arrested.

In the backdrop of the unrest, the Turkish presidential administration announced attempts at provocation aimed at disrupting peace and order in the republic. Earlier, the Syrian radio station Sham FM reported that clashes took place between Turkish forces and several groups of militants loyal to Ankara in the Afrin, Aazaz, and Al-Bab regions (north of Aleppo).