Syrians fear violence after teenager's personal data leaked to Türkiye

Personal data of millions of Syrians living in Turkey has been leaked online, stoking fears of further violence against refugees in the country.

Personal information, including passport details and places of residence of more than 3.5 million Syrians in Turkey, was leaked by a 14-year-old boy, government authorities said, who has been arrested.

The data was shared on social media platforms such as Telegram and comes after recent “pogroms” against Syrians in the country.

“It has been found that a social media account with the nickname *”Uprising#Turkey”* posted today: 'We will start an uprising in Sultanbeyli between 19:00 and 20:00,'” the Turkish Interior Ministry said in a statement, referring to a municipality near Istanbul.

“The investigation revealed that the administrator of the social media account was EP, aged 14,” the ministry said, using only the initials.

“It was also understood that the identity information of Syrians under temporary protection was shared from the same account. Necessary measures have been taken against EP by the Istanbul Children's Branch Directorate,” the statement added.

It is not yet clear how many files were leaked or how, but a Turkey-based Syrian activist said the initial number included personal data of half a million Syrians living in Istanbul and another 400,000 living in the southeastern city of Gaziantep, near Syria.

The data breach comes as Syrian refugees, who fled conflict in their country, face growing hostility in Turkey, including deadly violence.

The leaked data has now raised fears of further violence and concerns that armed groups could use address information to track down refugee families and individuals.

Turkey has been gripped by anti-Syrian racial riots since Sunday, following reports that a Syrian man sexually harassed and abused a child in the central Turkish city of Kayseri.

Mobs attacked and burned Syrian businesses in Kayseri and other Turkish cities, and several deadly attacks were reported across the country.

A 15-year-old Syrian boy was reportedly stabbed to death in the southwestern Turkish city of Antalya on Wednesday.

Turkish authorities announced Tuesday that more than 470 people had been arrested in connection with the violence.

Anti-Syrian violence in Turkey has prompted Syrians to attack Turkish troops in the border town of Afrin, leading to the deaths of opposition protesters.

Ankara maintains a military presence in northern Syria after carrying out three cross-border operations since 2016, saying its buffer zone aims to push back Kurdish militants it considers terrorists.

The Syrian conflict, which began in 2011 with anti-regime protests and later involved foreign powers, has reportedly killed more than half a million people. Turkey severed ties with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shortly after the conflict began and has backed rebels opposed to the regime.

But recently, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his willingness to meet with Assad, saying there was no reason not to do so.

The Assad regime has refused any efforts at normalization before Ankara withdraws its troops.