Response to claims that 'Syrians left and factories closed': 'The greatest harm'

Following allegations of child sexual abuse in the Danişmentgazi neighborhood of Kayseri on 30.06.2024, protests and aggressive behavior targeting Syrians occurred across the city on the same day.

It was reported that a large number of Syrians left Kayseri following the attacks on their homes and workplaces. 

Yeni Şafak newspaper published a notable report following the protests in Kayseri, making a striking claim. According to the claim, some Syrians left the city after the incident that caused public outrage in Kayseri, and as a result, 15 factories closed. The newspaper claimed that Syrians form the backbone of the Organized Industrial Zone (OSB). 

Some accounts on social media, described as trolls, also claimed that 15 factories had closed due to Syrians leaving the region following the events in Kayseri, drawing backlash.

DENIAL OF THE CLAIMS

Kayseri Chamber of Commerce (KTO) Board Chairman Ömer Gülsoy stated in his remarks that they absolutely do not accept the baseless comments made about Kayseri, saying, “Actually, I did not want to touch upon this, but since the opportunity has arisen, some negative news about our city following the unfortunate incident we experienced in our city—which is the paradise of Turkey, and Turkey is the paradise of the world—does not reflect the truth. 

There is no factory of ours that is closed. Furthermore, we absolutely do not accept baseless comments made about our ancient city, which is the capital of trade, has a 4,500-year commercial history, 100 years of production experience, provides the greatest contribution to the development of the national economy by running a current account surplus, and has entrepreneurs investing in many parts of our country. In this regard, I would like to thank our Governor Gökmen Çiçek, our Police Chief Atanur Aydın, our Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Hakan Dedebağı, and our law enforcement officers once again in your presence for not giving credit to provocative events, showing tremendous willpower, and preventing the escalation of events by showing the compassionate face of the state. May God be pleased with them,” he said.

Gülsoy stated that one should not give credence to negative news about some companies in the private sector, saying, “Again, we should not give credence to negative news that has recently emerged regarding the private sector and some of our companies. These reports have no basis in reality.

Those who spread such news and those who give it credence should know that they are the ones causing the greatest harm to themselves.

At the end of my words, I would like to express my happiness in hosting this esteemed audience at our Chamber of Commerce, which is the largest professional organization in Kayseri with approximately 30 thousand members,” he stated.

News Source: İHA