Enab Baladi – Hani Karazi

“A Syrian harasses a Turkish girl,” a piece of news spread like wildfire among the Turks in the Kayseri province, causing acts of violence targeting Syrians’ properties on June 30th. Their shops and cars were vandalized and set on fire.

It later emerged that the girl was not Turkish but Syrian, and the accused was mentally ill and a relative of the girl child, according to a statement made by the Kayseri province on its “X” platform.

Under the influence of this rumor, Syrian refugees had to make critical decisions that affected their lives and the future of their families. Some have left or are considering leaving, some have postponed their plans related to family, home, or work, and some are still living in anxiety.

In a statement on July 1st, the Turkish Ministry of Interior announced that it seeks to combat misleading news and provocative posts against Syrian refugees. It indicated that 343,000 posts were shared from about 79,000 accounts on social media platforms after the Kayseri events, and it was found that 68% of those posts were provocative and negative, and 37% of those accounts were fake.

Postponement until further notice

With increasing talk about rapprochement between Turkey and the Syrian regime, rumors have spread among Syrians that Ankara will deport all Syrians under temporary protection after restoring relations with Damascus, which disrupted Syrians’ plans and influenced their decisions.

Abdul Rahman Jaqmur (34 years old), a Syrian refugee in Istanbul, decided to reconsider renewing his home furniture and buying a car after hearing many rumors about the imminent return of all Syrians to their country if relations normalize between Turkey and the Syrian regime.

Jaqmur, who works in plumbing, stopped his plan to buy a car and furniture for the house, saying, “Our home’s furniture has become very old, and we have four children, and moving around has become difficult with public transportation. I was considering buying a car, but I postponed those projects until the fate of the Syrians is clarified.”

Jaqmur justified his decision because replacing the furniture of the living room and bedroom costs 50,000 Turkish lira, while the price of an average car reaches about 700,000. “What I fear is that we might be suddenly deported, and then I would lose that amount.”

He told Enab Baladi that even if he decided to sell the furniture with the help of a friend in Turkey after deportation, it would be sold for less than half the price. “While it would be impossible for anyone other than me to sell the car as it is registered in my name unless a power of attorney was granted.”

Enab Baladi monitored groups of Syrians on social media platforms and found that there are hundreds of posts from Syrians announcing the sale of entire house furniture due to travel, and it was notable that the prices seemed low compared to their quality and duration of use. Some also announced the possibility of negotiating and reducing the price to expedite the sale.

Syrians’ decisions to delay implementing many of their plans, due to being influenced by rumors of mass deportation, were not limited to merely postponing the purchase of furniture, a car, or any other goods, but some also decided to postpone marriage, childbearing, or opening any small business.

Rawan, a Syrian refugee living in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul, said, “I have two sons, and I really love girls, so I told my husband that I am thinking of having another child, hoping that God would bless us with a girl. But he refused the idea and decided to postpone it until further notice due to his fear of deportation.”

Rawan added to Enab Baladi that she had entered into a debate with her husband, who works in a tailor workshop. She told him not to worry about expenses, but he insists that a new baby requires significant financial expenses, aside from the costs of childbirth.

Among the reasons for the man’s refusal of his wife’s pregnancy is that it would be very tiring for her to move around, especially if they had to travel to another country before being deported back to Syria, as said by Rawan.

Rumors of “citizenship revocation”

Among the Syrian community who obtained Turkish citizenship exceptionally, rumors circulate about the government’s ability to revoke citizenship from those who acquired it whenever or after a certain period, or without the will of the bearer.

Turkish law allows renunciation of citizenship on the person’s will and does not allow stripping citizenship from citizens except in cases related to violating the country’s constitution or threatening national security or treason, according to Article “29” of the Turkish Nationality Law No. “5901”.

Many Syrians who previously obtained Turkish citizenship live in anxiety after opposition parties in Turkey threatened to review their previous files and possibly revoke their citizenship if they came to power. This is indeed what the head of the opposition Zafer Partisi (Victory Party) in Turkey, Ümit Özdağ, repeatedly threatened, making many Syrians believe in the rumors of stripping them of their citizenship, prompting some to travel outside Turkey.

Yahya, a young Syrian living in the Konya province, obtained Turkish citizenship four years ago and works as an English language teacher, but he has become anxious after reading a lot of news about the possibility of revoking Syrians’ citizenship.

Yahya (29 years old) said that the opposition’s threats to review the files of Syrians who obtained citizenship and revoke it from them “made our fears of this happening real,” especially after the opposition began to gain more popularity, particularly after their dominance in the municipal elections. This may strengthen their chances of winning the presidential elections in 2028 and implementing their threats and promises against people like Yahya, as he said.

Yahya expresses his lack of confidence that Syrians’ citizenships will not be revoked in the future after noticing that Syrians were deported despite having legal documents, according to him, adding, “I have started to feel unstable here, which prompted me to travel with my family to Kuwait two months ago after obtaining Turkish passports in advance.”

15 rumors increased racism

In addition to the rumors circulated by many Syrians and their rapid belief in them, there are many rumors that spread about Syrians and were bolstered by some opposition parties and Turkish media, contributing to the escalation of racism against Syrian refugees and the increase in attacks targeting them.

In this context, the Turkish newspaper Aydınlık published a report highlighting 15 rumors that contributed to inciting Turkish public opinion against Syrian refugees.

These rumors include that Syrians do not wait in line at the hospital, do not pay bills, work wherever they want, Syrian merchants do not pay taxes, they will become Turkish citizens after five years, they are the main reason for unemployment, and they receive salaries from the state.

Among the rumors that affected Syrians are also that they contributed to increasing the crime rate, created closed gatherings, entered universities without exams, the state grants scholarships to all Syrians, they contributed to raising prices, they can enroll in any school they want, they are employed in government institutions, and they can all vote in elections.

Hanadi Bakir is one of the Syrian women who left Turkey due to rumors fueled by the Turkish opposition, which contributed to the incitement of hatred and racism against refugees. She returned with her family to Syria because of the repeated racism they were subjected to.

Bakir (45 years old), who was living in Bursa province, said that once while standing in a hospital, she was surprised by a lady who skipped the queue. She asked her to adhere to the queue, but the lady, according to Bakir, looked at her angrily and said, “Go to your country. You are stealing our money and getting free treatment and salaries from our state. You caused the price hike and took our children’s chances in universities.”

Bakir was shocked by what the woman said and tried to explain that it was just rumors and that the free treatment and financial aid for Syrians were paid by the European Union and not the Turkish state, as she said in her interview with Enab Baladi. However, the woman “did not believe and continued screaming and pushed her, without any intervention from those present.”

Bakir noted that she has two children in school who were also harassed by their Turkish classmates who mocked them and refused to play with them just because they are Syrians, affecting their psyche and making them reluctant to go to school. Her husband was also harassed by his Turkish colleagues at work, as she mentioned.

She added, “All this racism had a major role in feeding the rumors, causing us distress, so we decided to return to Syria.”

Why do people believe false news?

Many people quickly believe rumors, which, according to the American Psychological Association, is due to several factors, primarily that people are more prone to falling prey to misinformation due to lazy thinking. They pointed out that people who browse social media quickly might be less likely to believe rumors if they think carefully about what they read. After that, they can distinguish between truth and rumor.

The association clarified that the social element also contributes to the spread of rumors, meaning that when a person finds that people around him think like him, believe in the same things, and provide him with new information that reinforces the circulating rumors, he tends to believe it.

Psychological consultant Lia al-Sayyid Taha said that many Syrians’ inclination to rumors and believing them is due to several psychological and social factors. In times of ongoing crises and wars, people become more prone to anxiety and fear, driving them to seek any information that might give them some control or understanding of the current situation.

The absence of reliable sources of information led many to believe any available source of information, even if it was a rumor.

Taha added to Enab Baladi that the repetition of rumors could lead to negative psychological effects on individuals, including increased anxiety and stress levels, and might create an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust among people, potentially driving them to change their behaviors and plans.

To avoid rumors, the consultant advised Syrians in Turkey to verify the accuracy of the news they read by checking multiple sources and relying on trusted websites. They can also develop critical thinking skills that help them analyze information accurately and not be swayed by rumors. She noted that individuals who experience anxiety or stress due to rumors can resort to psychological support sessions.