The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Tuesday that it obtained a video showing two men with cuts and bruises on their bodies, alleging that they were tortured by Turkish gendarmes after attempting to cross into Turkey, citing local sources.
According to SOHR sources, the two young men were attempting to enter Turkish territory near the Öncüpınar border gate in the northern countryside of Aleppo.
The two men are siblings, SOHR said, and added that they have been displaced from the town of Murek in Hama province, now controlled by the Syrian regime.
Hate crimes against refugees and migrants, who are blamed for many of Turkey’s social and economic troubles, have been escalating in the country in recent years.
Turkish media including pro-government and opposition outlets fuel and exploit the flames of hatred against people who fled their countries and sought refuge in Turkey.
The Syrian civil war, which officially began March 15, 2011, has killed hundreds of thousands and torn families apart. More than 585,000 people have died in the conflict, and 6.6 million have become refugees in neighboring countries and Europe, with the entire country deeply traumatized by the cruelty of the war.
According to UNHCR, Turkey hosts the largest number of refugees worldwide. The country is currently home to some 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees, along with close to 320,000 persons of concern from other nationalities.