According to Ahmad Alkhatib, a Syrian journalist, some Syrian refugees were abused and humiliated by Turkish military as they attempted to cross the border.
Photo via Ahmad Alkhatib's Twitter
Ahmad on August 1 posted pictures on social media, which showed three men, said to be Syrian refugees, were made to wear brightly colored women’s lingerie. All three had bruises and deep cuts on their arms and backs. The pictures were said to be posted by the abusers themselves, just days after three Turkish soldiers arrested for abusing Syrian refugees.
“Again and again #Turkish soldiers insulting some of the #Syrians who tried to went to #Turkey. Syrians still insulted,” wrote the journalist alongside the pictures. This post was following a news on July 30 when Turkish army arrested soldiers who appeared in a video, beating the Syrians who tried to cross the border.
Screenshot via Ahmad Alkhatib's Twitter
According to a court in the southern Turkish province of Hatay, three soldiers appeared in the video would remain in custody but the fourth soldier was released, state-run news agency Anadolu reported.
Receiving disputed messages, Ahmad later on that day clarified on social media that the abusers “might be against Turkish nation serving the west by doing this things to Syrians.” He also expressed his gratitude to those kind Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) individuals who offered help to Syrians.
Screenshot via Ahmad Alkhatib's Twitter
In July, a pregnant Syrian refugee in Turkey was raped and beaten to death, and her 10-month-old baby strangled, which sparked outrage.
Turkish government has kept an “open-door” policy to the Syrians since early stage conflict. While during first several months in 2017 Turkey enhanced security measures and announced to have finished constructing a 911-kilometer wall along its border with Syria.