Turks turn to violence as 300,000 refugees set to get citizenshipJuly 14, 2016 - 11:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A wave of anti-refugee violence has hit Turkey - leaving two dead and hundreds of homes destroyed - just a week after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested offering citizenship to Syrians, the Express reports. Ankara’s interior ministry is preparing to give citizenship to as many as 300,000 refugees who meet certain criteria, with the aim of encouraging highly-educated refugees to stay in the country. The plan is controversial among Turks. Following Erdogan’s announcement, hashtags translating to “No to Syrians” and “I don’t want Syrians in my country” began trending on Twitter. Last weekend, a fight erupted between Turks and Syrians in Beysehir, a district in the conservative central province of Konya, ending in the deaths of a local teenager and a refugee. Three more were wounded in the fight, which reportedly began after 18-year-old Mehmet Bayraktar intervened when he saw four Syrians kicking a stray dog, the Express says. Bayraktar and a Syrian named as Ibrahim al-Ali died from knife wounds sustained in the fight on Saturday, July 9. Konya locals, led by Turkish boy’s family, have since demanded that Syrians living in the area should leave town. Local media reported that several of the 900 Syrians living in the town had left after their homes were attacked in the days after the fight. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenia, Turkey discuss restoration of historic bridge The meeting took place on May 17 in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international conference of ministers of culture. India wants Armenia’s proposals on use of Chabahar port India is expecting proposals from Armenia regarding the use of Chabahar port in Iran, Indian ambassador says. EU welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan “progress” The EU has welcomed “progress” made in the framework of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process. Belarus opposition leader slams Lukashenko for Karabakh trip Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has harshly criticized the visit of Lukashenko to Karabakh. |