ANKARA: Syrian refugees, once welcomed with open arms to Turkey, are now living in fear amid a rise in hate crimes against them, experts have claimed. Many believe they are being used as political leverage in the upcoming Turkish elections scheduled for next year. Syrian teenager Fares Elali became one of the latest victims of the backlash when he was recently stabbed to death
In-depth: The unsettling surge of racist attacks and xenophobia along with recently announced plans to repatriate one million Syrians back to their home country have left many refugees questioning their future in Turkey.
Incidents of xenophobia and violence towards Syrian refugees in Turkey have increased in recent months, coinciding with local and national election cycles. Populist candidates are scapegoating Syrians as the cause for the country's current woes.