STORY: Prejudice, fear cannot solve Syrian refugee issue: Erdogan
SHOOTING TIME: July 2, 2024
DATELINE: July 3, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:22
LOCATION: Ankara
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Türkiye's cabinet meeting (courtesy of ihlas news agency)
2. various of the press conference of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after cabinet meeting (courtesy of ihlas news agency)
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President (courtesy of ihlas news agency)
4. various of the press conference of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after cabinet meeting  (courtesy of ihlas news agency)
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President (courtesy of ihlas news agency)
6. various of the press conference (courtesy of ihlas news agency)
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President (courtesy of ihlas news agency)
8. various of the press conference (courtesy of ihlas news agency)
9. SOUNDBITE 4 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President (courtesy of ihlas news agency)
10. various of the press conference (courtesy of ihlas news agency)
11. SOUNDBITE 5 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President (courtesy of ihlas news agency)
12. various of the press conference (courtesy of ihlas news agency)

STORYLINE:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday emphasized that the Syrian refugee issue in the country cannot be resolved through "prejudices and fears," amidst outbreaks of violence targeting Syrian refugees across Türkiye.

He made the remarks at a press conference after a cabinet meeting.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
"We will resolve the refugee issue within a rational and conscientious framework, not based on prejudices and fears, but on the realities of our country and economy."

The anti-Syrian riots first started on Sunday in Kayseri province after Turkish authorities arrested a Syrian man for allegedly sexually abusing a seven-year-old Syrian girl. Local residents set fire to houses and businesses belonging to Syrians and vandalized their vehicles.

The violence then spread to the provinces of Hatay, Kilis, Gaziantep, Konya, and Antalya while the Turkish government has been urging for calm.
   
The riots against Syrians in Türkiye also sparked a backlash in northern Syria.
   
Footages of a group of people desecrating the Turkish flag and attacking trucks from Türkiye circulated across social media.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
"We know who wrote the plot, which was created using the remnants of the separatist terrorist organization. Neither we, nor our nation, nor our Syrian brothers will fall into this insidious trap."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
"Just as we know how to break dirty hands that encroach on our flag, we also know how to break hands that reach for the oppressed who have sought refuge in our country."

Since 2016, Türkiye has carried out four military operations in northern Syria, targeting Kurdish-controlled areas and the Islamic State militants. It currently controls swaths of land and has set up several small military bases in Syria's Idlib and other northern provinces.
   
SOUNDBITE 4 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
"We set sights on no one's land, nor do we set sights on anyone's sovereignty. We only protect our homeland against separatist intentions and we will continue to do so."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
"A total of 670,000 Syrians have returned from Türkiye to the settlements in northern Syria. When the projects are completed, an additional 1 million people will be added."
   
There are some 3.1 million registered Syrian refugees residing in Turkish cities, according to official data.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ankara.
(XHTV)