It’s been more than a week since the earthquake in Turkey. Tens of thousands are dead, more are homeless. The population’s grief is slowly but surely turning to anger, and they are looking for someone to blame. One right-wing Turkish party in particular wants to use this anger and deliberately portrays Syrian refugees as scapegoats.
Assistance: Tim Morgenstern and Dayan Djajadisastra
It is February 10th, four days after the devastating earthquake hit large parts of Turkey and northern Syria. A video appeared on social media. In the image on the left, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay gives a speech on the desolate situation of the nation after the earthquake. A small crowd can be seen on the right. And a man in a blue raincoat. He stands close behind a firefighter for a few seconds. Then he disappears from the picture. Basically not very sensational – but Ümit Özdağ senses a scandal here. “This is a Syrian who just stole the fireman’s cell phone!” he tweeted. At least three million people see this tweet before deleting it.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
