An İzmir prosecutor has demanded an aggravated life sentence for Kemal Korukmaz, who allegedly burned three Syrian construction workers to death in November 2021, the Gazete Duvar news website reported.
The prosecutor presented evidence suggesting that the defendant had deliberately torched the victims’ house and cited witnesses saying that he had used racial slurs against the victims.
The prosecutor claimed that the crime was entirely premeditated since the defendant cut power to the building before torching it and made detailed plans to carry the materials needed to start the fire to the scene.
The defendant’s lawyer requested permission to make their defense statement in writing, for which the court adjourned the trial to March 20.
Since 2012 Turkey has accepted more than 3 million Syrians fleeing the war-torn neighboring country. Due to a geographical limitation Turkey previously imposed on the Geneva Convention on refugees, the Syrians are not granted refugee status and are instead placed under a status called “temporary protection.”
In recent years the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been faced with increasing public hostility against migrants, including in parts of its voter base.
Fueled by segments of the opposition, the anti-migrant sentiment has been exacerbated by the downturn in the economy and has led to numerous incidents of apparent hate crime, which resulted in deaths and injuries.
