Türkiye is home to more than 3.1 million Syrian refugees. The group, under temporary protection status, is the largest of its kind in the country. Inevitably, they have become the main target of far-right groups. Most recently, riots that unfolded in the central city of Kayseri over the past few days over an alleged crime perpetrated by a Syrian national were enough to trigger provocative attacks elsewhere as angry mobs torched the houses and shops of Syrians.

Authorities are striving to contain the provocative acts, which appear to be organized, targeting the community as they spill over to other cities. But a barrage of disinformation on social media has the potential to fuel more attacks.

Invariably, the online campaign of disinformation attempts to portray the refugees as a group of freeloaders benefiting from Turkish taxpayers’ money and/or a backward group clashing with the cultural values of the country.

The Center for Countering Disinformation, a subsidiary of the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, is at the forefront of efforts to debunk fake news and social media posts about Syrians.

One such piece of disinformation circulating on social media is that Türkiye grants citizenship to Syrians purchasing a residence in the country, a scheme which originally applies to foreign nationals who can only be eligible for citizenship if they purchase property worth an amount set by the government. The center says Syrians cannot purchase residences or land in Türkiye under a law dating back to 1927. The law was implemented in the early years of the Republic of Türkiye in retaliation for Syria’s seizure of Turkish lands. The center has also cited another regulation implemented in 1966 that forbids Syrians from acquiring property even if they obtained citizenship from a third country. Similarly, it is claimed that Syrians can acquire citizenship by marrying Turkish citizens, but the center says refugees have temporary protection IDs only and this cannot be converted into long-term residence permits that allow people to obtain citizenship through marriage.

Türkiye has offered citizenship to a limited number of eligible Syrian refugees, but their number has remained around 200,000. The center also denies the claim that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) recruited Syrian officers among them and points out the fact that every male with citizenship of a certain age is obliged to be conscripted for a limited time in the army; however, the army itself does not enlist people who acquired citizenship, regardless of their nationality, as officers.

Another claim of "double standards," according to far-right groups, is that Syrians are not required to wait in line at hospitals for treatment. As evidence, they share photos of Syrian patients categorized as "legally prioritized patients." Yet, the center says the rule applies to all patients in emergency cases and the privilege of not having to wait in line is limited to certain groups, such as people with disabilities and pregnant women. It also dismisses claims that Syrian refugees’ IVF treatment costs are covered by the Turkish state, saying that people in temporary protection status are not entitled to such free treatment.

Xenophobic groups also say Syrians should return to their country, claiming that the danger of civil war has passed, giving the example of Syrians who can visit their countries on religious holidays. Regarding the claim, the center says refugees were allowed to visit their countries and return only once in 2022, but this practice is no longer available. It highlights that people who want to cross into Syria are not readmitted into Türkiye except in emergency situations such as funerals. Türkiye banned the visits after outrage, although visits were limited to areas liberated from terrorist groups in Syria with the backing of the Turkish army.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday that they were working to ensure the voluntary, safe return of refugees. Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Erdoğan said 670,000 have returned so far and they expect another million to return to their homeland, which is facilitated by Türkiye and Qatar's joint safe zone efforts.

He said Türkiye will continue to ensure the security of "our country and our people" as long as there are "bloodthirsty groups" in Syria with their guns pointed toward it.

Commenting on violence and negative social media trends riots in Kayseri, Erdoğan said Türkiye "will resolve the issue of refugees not based on prejudices or fears, but with a rational, conscientious framework based on realities of the country and economy."

"Public order is a red line for our state. Regardless of the excuse, we will not tolerate this line being crossed or violated," he said.

"Just as we know how to break the dirty hands reaching for our flag, we also know how to break the hands reaching out to the innocent people who have taken refuge in our country," the Turkish president said, referring to attacks on the Turkish flag in Syria after xenophobic mobs targeted Syrians in Türkiye.