A court in Istanbul, Turkey ordered the arrest of Umit Ozdag, president of the anti-migrant and far-right Victory Party (VP) for “public incitement to hatred and enmity”.
The prosecutor’s office highlighted Ozdag’s alleged influence on anti-migrant unrest in Kayseri province in 2024. Ozdag’s statements had demonstrated “provocative attitudes and behaviors”, it said.
Turkey saw anti-migrant and anti-refugee protests in July 2024 following an alleged case of child abuse in Kayseri province that involved Syrian refugees. Angry protesters raided shops owned by Syrians and set fire to several vehicles.
Ozdag denied the allegations. “The VP has nothing to do with incidents [in Kayseri],” he said in his defense at the court.
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