Türkiye’s foreign policies aim to establish peace and stability in the Middle East, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday as it hit out at criticism of its policies regarding Syria amid riots in central Kayseri and northern Syria.
"It goes without saying that constructive criticism would contribute to foreign policy in a democracy. However, distorting realities and making accusations fueled by ideological bigotry for political gain do not fall into this category," the ministry said in a statement.
"The allegations against our policy on the Middle East and Syria lack analysis and basic knowledge of history," it added.
Emphasizing that Turkish foreign policy is driven by "national interests," the ministry underscored its commitment to establishing "peace, stability and prosperity" in the region, which it views as historically and culturally significant.
The ministry also reiterated Türkiye's "principled stance" since the onset of the Syrian crisis, highlighting its adherence to "international law, humanitarian values and global justice."
It stressed that Türkiye has taken "necessary measures to counter threats to its national security" while also remaining a stabilizing force in a volatile region.
Türkiye has successfully maintained "peace and stability," enhancing national "well-being and security," said the statement.
It added that by bolstering "its defense capabilities," Türkiye has been able to combat terrorism beyond its borders.
The ministry concluded by condemning "unfounded political accusations," asserting that such actions serve the interests of external powers trying to influence the region.
The statement affirmed that Türkiye's foreign policy will continue to prioritize "the interests of the state and nation."
It is likely a response to remarks from the main opposition’s Republican People's Party (CHP) calling for a revision of Turkish foreign policy following anti-Syrian riots in Türkiye and anti-Turkish demonstrations in northern Syria.
A CHP deputy chair on Tuesday claimed Türkiye’s Middle East, Syria and refugee policy had "collapsed" and blamed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government for it.
Police detained 474 people involved in attacks targeting the Syrian community across Türkiye overnight, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, in spreading unrest that began late on Sunday.
Properties and vehicles owned by Syrians were vandalized and set on fire in the central city of Kayseri, stoked by social media reports that a Syrian man had sexually abused a female child relative. Yerlikaya said the incident was being investigated.
The violence spread to the provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Konya, Bursa and an Istanbul district, Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) said in a statement. There were social media reports of some injuries among Syrians.
Subsequently, hundreds of angry Syrians took to the streets in several towns in the opposition-held northwest Syria, an area where Türkiye maintains thousands of troops backing opposition forces and fighting against the PKK/YPG terrorist group.
Although Turkish officials were yet to confirm it, media reports late Tuesday claimed Türkiye closed its main border crossings into northwest Syria after Turkish troops came under fire from Syrians angered by the violence in Türkiye.
Both Ankara and the Syrian opposition denounced the incidents and their "provocateurs" and shared messages of unity while calling for restraint in both countries.
Erdoğan, too, on Monday condemned the "vandalism" in the Kayseri riots and blamed the "poisonous rhetoric" of the opposition as "one of the reasons" for the violence.
"We get nowhere by stoking xenophobia and anti-refugee hatred among the public," Erdoğan said.
Parties like the far-right Victory Party (ZP) have been at the forefront of anti-Syrian sentiment in the country since it was founded in 2021. The CHP, too, campaigned heavily around sending Syrians back home ahead of the May 2023 general elections.
Türkiye is home to at least 3.6 million Syrian refugees who fled the civil war in 2012, most of whom are under temporary protection status.
Growing far-right anti-refugee sentiments have increased the risk of violence against immigrants in Türkiye in recent years, where many refugees have been subjected to attacks in various towns across the country upon rumors they were involved in cases of rape or murders against the local population.