Altındağ Incidents is a protest that took place on 10 August 2021 in Battalgazi neighbourhood of Altındağ district of Ankara, as a result of a quarrel between a Syrian group and 2 young people, and the Syrian group stabbed 2 Turkish young people. As a result of the incident, one of the young people lost his life and 2 people were detained. After this incident, crowded activist groups organized marches. These groups attacked the houses and shops of Syrians. Riot police and riot police were deployed to the tense areas.[1] According to Ankara Security Directorate, 148 people were detained for their involvement in the incidents in Altındağ.
Of the apprehended persons, 64 had records for crimes such as extortion, intentional injury, damage to property, manufacture of narcotics, theft, etc. Administrative action was taken against 29 of them, while judicial proceedings were initiated against 43 of them. Police started to control the entrances and exits of Battalgazi neighborhood.[2] Some activists drew parallels between the incident and the Afrikaanderwijk riots in Rotterdam to create an empathy with Syrians in Turkey.[3]
Following the incident, Altındağ District Governorate made the following statements:
"Some of the demonstrations and incidents that took place in our Altındağ district this evening
and as a result of the intensive work of our security forces, it has ended as of the moment.
Our people are kindly requested not to rely on provocative news and posts."
Emirhan Yalçın (2003–2021) was stabbed by a Syrian group in the Altındağ district of Ankara on 10 August 2021 and died the next day due to the injuries he sustained in the attack. The attack took place after a fight between a group of Syrians and Yalçın and his friends in a park in the Battalgazi Neighborhood. Yalçın and Ali Yasin Güler, who were wounded in the fight, were taken to Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital. Yalçın, who was reportedly wounded near his heart, was pronounced dead on 11 August.[4] After it was announced that the perpetrators were Syrian, attacks targeting Syrians took place in Altındağ in response to Yalçın's murder.
Yalçın's injury occurred on 10 August 2021, as a result of a fight of unknown origin and a stabbing incident that followed. The fight took place between a group of Syrian nationals and Yalçın and others. 26-year-old Yahya Abdo and Muhammed Abdo were arrested after the incident for allegedly injuring Yalçın. In his statement, Abdo said, "I suddenly started arguing with Emirhan, whom I had not seen before, in the park. Then we had a fight and I hit Emirhan with the knife I found in the park. Then I panicked and ran away. I am very regretful for committing this crime."[5]
After the incident, it was announced that all shops in the neighborhood were closed as a precautionary measure.[6] Nevşin Mengü reported that Syrians were evacuated from the neighborhood.[7]
After it was announced that the perpetrators were Syrian nationals, attacks targeting Syrians took place in Altındağ in response to Yalçın's murder. These attacks included throwing stones at houses identified as belonging to Syrians, attacking their shops and overturning their cars. Other neighborhood residents reportedly tried to protect their shops with tarpaulins with the moon and star drawn on them and the words "T.C. Turkish Shop".[8] A Syrian child was reportedly injured in the head as a result of the attacks. 76 people were detained as a result of the attacks [9] Evrensel and Birgün described these attacks as racist, while Yeşil Gazete described them as a pogrom[7][10]
