Turkish Ministry of Interior Denies Ozdag’s Allegations That Afghan Refugees Raped a Syrian Girl

The office of the mayor of Esenlar district denied the allegations made by the leader of the Victory Party (Zafer Partisi) Umit Ozdag that Afghan refugees raped a Syrian girl in the central Istanbul district of Esenlar.

In a statement, the mayor called for caution in publishing and ratifying such news that aims to disturb public order and security.

Ozdag’s claim came through a tweet on his official page on Twitter, in which he said: Four young men of Afghan nationality raped a Syrian girl in the Esenlar region: “Yesterday night, 4 Afghans raped a 12-year-old Syrian girl in the Esenlar Namek Kamal neighborhood, which caused people took to the streets, Afghans were severely beaten.”

He continued, “The residents of the neighborhood expressed their discontent with the real estate brokers, saying that we do not want foreigners in our neighborhood. We live on the edge of the abyss.”

The case quickly became a hot topic on social media, with many visitors sharing the claim, calling on the Turkish government to publish an explanation of what happened.

On the other hand, the Turkish Interior Ministry spokesman, Mr. Ismail Çatakli, launched a verbal attack on Umit Ozdag, describing him as a lying machine and accusing him of practicing racism and spreading hatred against foreigners to achieve political goals. Çataklı said that lawyers are looking for Özdag’s criminal file and his history to determine his eligibility and mental health.