In recent days there have been reports of horrific incidents in the city of Gaziantep in southeast Turkey, where more than 200,000 Syrians are living. Extreme right-wing groups are hunting Syrians in city streets. When caught, their prey are badly beaten up. The police have stepped up security measures especially in city neighborhoods where such incidents tend to happen most. Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Sahin and civil society representatives have been calling for calm and reason. Most observers say the protests are prompted by increasing rents and unemployment after the arrival of Syrians.

Gaziantep, an industrial city in the southeast that is the hub of most Turkish exports to the Middle East, has been a magnet for thousands of Syrians who fled the war in Syria. Gaziantep always had close family and business contacts with Syria, especially with Aleppo.

According to official records, about 200,000 (but unofficially 300,000) Syrians live in Gaziantep. Rents doubled, then tripled. In the city fringes where minimum wage earners usually live, rents used to be around 150 Turkish lira (about $70) a month. Today they are around 400 Turkish lira (about $185).

None of this justifies the fascist assaults on Syrians in the city. But signs of brewing troubles started about two month ago when social media calls were issued to protest Syrians in the city. Many protest attempts were curtailed by the police before developing into mass public rallies.