Turkish media’s coverage of violent ethnic unrest in Türkiye and Syria

Just as the normalization of relations between Türkiye and Syria offered a glimmer of hope, a disturbing incident in Kayseri ignited an uproar in Kayseri. Allegations of a Syrian man molesting a child sparked chaotic violence, with attacks on Syrian-owned businesses. In response, Syrian cities like Azaz, al-Bab, and Afrin saw anti-Turkish demonstrations. How did Turkish media cover the events in Syria?

Reports emerged that actors seeking to sabotage the normalization process may have exploited the situation in Kayseri. These actors, possibly with ulterior motives, may have attempted to provoke the local population living in areas where the Turkish army is present. Following this, Turkish post offices in the area were raided and Syrians gathered around Turkish bases. Turkish flags were also lowered and vehicles with Turkish license plates were attacked. Turkish officials called for common sense, while the Free Syrian Army said: “Do not follow the instigators, respect the Turkish flag.”

While reporting the news, the emphasis on provocation came to the forefront.

Milliyet daily highlighted the statements of commander of the 2nd Army Corps Fehim Isa, one of the symbolic figures of the Syrian Revolution, and used the headline “Provocation Warning from Syrian Commander! ‘The Turkish Flag is Sacred for Us.'”

Sabah newspaper also highlighted Isa’s statements with the headline “Don’t Follow the Troublemakers, Respect the Turkish Flag.”

In a special report by Yilmaz Bilgen, Türkiye daily drew attention to the provocation and wrote: “Unlimited provocation inside and outside: Sabotage to the solution with Syria.”

TGRT News took a prudent approach to the issue and highlighted Isa’s statements, as well as the Turkish National Intelligence Organization’s (MIT) statements, which emphasized provocation.

The conservative Yeni Safak newspaper, on the other hand, emphasized that the incidents in Kayseri and Syria took place in parallel, with the headline “Simultaneous Provocations in Kayseri and Syria: They Transported Criminals by Truck.”

Tevfik Kadan, the editor-in-chief of the left-wing daily Aydinlik, which has been highlighting the importance of Türkiye-Syria normalization in the form of a statement from a Syrian diplomat instead of reporting on the events, wrote on social media, “It is Decision Time for the Syrian Opposition.”

“The mutual messages of reconciliation between President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar Assad are forcing the Syrian opposition to make a big decision. The opposition groups Ahrar al-Sharqiya and Jabhat al-Shamiya have chosen sides and declared their opposition to this reconciliation. These two groups have been protesting for two days to close the Abu Zeiddin border crossing, which was opened with the reconciliation messages.

They threaten Türkiye as follows: ‘If you make a deal with Assad, we will join the PYD.’ Ankara and Damascus will reconcile. The groups that accept this cooperation will take on new tasks in coordination with the Syrian government. Some of them will be affiliated to the Syrian Army, as in Daraa, and will be protected as local law enforcement forces, while others will be disbanded. Those who do not accept the compromise have two options: Either go east and join the PYD or go down to Idlib and join HTS. Both options will end the same way.”

PYD refers to the Democratic Union Party which is PKK terrorist group’s Syrian offshoot while HTS refers to the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, Türkiye and others.

The socialist broadcaster Ulusal Kanal said, “Provocateurs against Türkiye-Syria cooperation are at work! The US has pressed the button.”

Yenicag newspaper, known for its nationalist stance, used the headline “Türkiye-fed FSA attacks Turks in Syria.”

ODA TV, one of the opposition digital media outlets, emphasized the analysis of professor Kemal Ucuncu, who described the incident as a provocation and emphasized that the U.S. and the Atlantic alliance sabotaged the cooperation processes in the region.

On the other hand, Halk TV, an opposition TV channel, reported the events in its news article titled “Attack on Turkish Flag and Trucks in Syria” and then included the Foreign Ministry’s warning of provocation.