1) The allegation of the video showing that the organ mafia is kidnapping the children in Syria
In the social media, the allegation of a video showing that the children fell into the hands of the organ mafia and their organs were stolen has been spread.
However, the claim that the video spreading in the social media shows that organ mafia stolen organs of the children does not representing truth.
The images at the beginning of the video were shared in 11 December 2015, claiming as the images of the injured children after the air attack in İdlib by Russia.
It can be seen in the original video that the person in blue suit is trying to treat the child in a stretcher and the child is alive.
It can be seen that the logo in top left corner of the video belongs to Smart News Agency. This agency uploaded the video to its YouTube channel in 11 December 2015. The title of the video uploaded by Smart News Agency is “The Russian planes massacred in the Al-Qasabiya village in the south of İdlib”.
Smart News Agency answered the questions of teyit.org and they said that the claim is not true. They also said that they made an interview with the father and his daughter in the video and this interview was broadcasted in Hawa Smart radio channel.
Another interview with the child in the video:
https://twitter.com/shaamnews/status/863487575352279043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fteyit.org%2Fturkiyede-yasayan-suriyelilerle-ilgili-internette-yayilan-13-yanlis-bilgi%2F
Click for the detailed analyses.
2) Allegation that AK Cards providing 50% discounts have been provided for Syrians
In a message shared on social media and WhatsApp groups, it has been claimed that a Syrian family used an AK Card for the shopping and got 50% discount at an IKEA store in Istanbul.
#NO
#HOT DAMN!
I was at IKEA in Istanbul on Saturday. While waiting in the queue, there was a Turkish family and a Syrian family just before them. And this Syrian family took some stuff in the amount of 758 Turkish Liras and the cashier told the amount. The Syrian man drew AK Card out of his pocket and the amount decreased to 379 TL and he paid by the same card. I forgot to write, guys; he showed his Turkish identity card to be checked. People turned to the cashier and asked about it; the cashier said it was a special AK Card issued for the Syrians and provided 50% discount, and all the men and women, listening to the cashier, said simultaneously “F*ck!” and everybody started to apologize each other. Of course I also blurted the same word out.
A press spokesperson of IKEA said the claim was conveyed to them and added:
There is no valid card called AK Card at any one of IKEA stores. No information is available that a card called AK Card was used for the shopping at the stores. However, we continue to make investigation into the issue. And we are also working on the people who are responsible for the news.
Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) give aid cards to Syrian immigrants. Syrians are able to meet their needs by the money loaded to these cards.
Through the Kızılay Cards, 100 Turkish liras per member are given as aid to families. These cards can be used only for food shopping. We are working on to make these cards be used for clothing, home textile products or at banks. Kızılay has a target to reach out 1 million Syrians living in different cities and centres outside the camps.
In a statement to teyit.org, AFAD said the AFAD cards are given to Syrians living inside the camp areas, the money loaded to the cards can only be used at markets and they do not enable any discount.
3) The allegation that people sharing about Syrians get prison sentence up to three years
In the social media, it is claimed that with a new regulations by the Ministry of Interior, people sharing video, photograph and news about Syrians will get prison sentence up to three years.
However, this claim does not representing the truth. There is no regulations or prohibitions by the Ministry of Interior about this issue. When the statement of the Ministry about Syrian refugees in 5 July is examined, there is no such an expression.
Click for the detailed analyses.
4) Allegation that Konya Metropolitan Municipality pays salary to Syrians
It has been claimed through a photo shared on social media that Konya Metropolitan Municipality paid salary to Syrians. The photo in which a group of people standing outside of a building where there is a sign read “Bureau of Social Card” was shared by thousands of people in a short span of time.
Facebook Post: Konya Metropolitan Municipality hands out salaries to Syrians. Our poor people collect papers from garbage and their sons are soldiers in Syria.
Well then, whose money is handed out by the municipality?
However, instead of paying salaries through the Bureau of Social Card, Konya Metropolitan Municipality delivers social cards which enable the families in need get food, cleaning supplies and stationery aids.
Konya Metropolitan Municipality loads certain amount of money to these cards, enabling the card holders meet their needs. Personal information on the card holders are inserted into the cards which could not be used someone else.
Through these personal social cards, the Municipality provides means for shopping in the amount of 75-150 Turkish liras.
5) The allegation that 131,746 Syrians are entered the university
In the social media, it is claimed that 131,746 Syrians entered the university by ÖSYM (Measuring, Selection and Placement Center).
However, the claim shared firstly by the Facebook page named “MizahTürk” that 131,746 Syrians entered the university by drawing lots does not representing the truth. It is not possible for the students coming from abroad to enter the university by drawing lots according to the “Principles Regarding the Acceptance of Students from abroad” by YÖK (The Council of Higher Education).
In the claim, it is stated that the person named “Ahmet Zevat” ‘s new goal is to go Oxford University with “cross transmission”. However, in the regulations about the transmissions between associate degree and undergraduate degree in 24 April 2010 by YÖK or in literature, there is no such a term.
Finally, as a result of sharings by the users and the incoming reactions against this claim in the social media, Facebook page “MizahTürk” added a note stating that it is fabricated.
Click for the detailed analysis.
6) Allegation that Syrians benefit from free in vitro fertilization
It was claimed on social media that Social Security Institution (SGK) covers the costs of in vitro fertilization treatment for Syrians. The allegation was stated by Fatih Portakal, anchorman of FOX TV for the first time on FOX TV’s main news bulletin aired on February 3, 2017.
In a statement to teyit.org, SGK officials said the allegation did not reflect the reality, adding that SGK did not cover any health expenses for Syrians and their healthcare expenses were met by AFAD.
Speaking of the issue, AFAD said:
As AFAD we only cover the healthcare expenses under Healthcare Implementation Communiqué. We do not meet any healthcare expenses such as in vitro fertilization, Hepatitis C and prosthesis which are not under the Communiqué.
You can use this link for further information on health care services provided for Syrians migrants.
7) The allegation that Syrians organized a march against the lifestyle of Turkish community disregarding the religion
An image was shared in social media with the claim that a group of Syrians marched to the Governer's office in Gaziantep, on the grounds that "Turkish people are provoking Syrians by living with disregard to religious rules and wearing indecent clothes".
However, this claim does not representing the truth. Such a march did not happened in Gaziantep. The photograph in the sharing is actually from 2012, Yemen.
Press and Public Relations Directorship of Gaziantep Governorship said to teyit.org that such an incident or protest did not happened. Also, there is no information about such an incident in reliable sources.
Click for detailed analyses.
8) The allegation that Syrians could study at a university they want without any condition
One of many allegations on social media about Syrian migrants is that they are allowed to study at any university they want without being subjected to any examination.
However the allegation is not true. Syrian migrants are able to get education in Turkey either through undergraduate transfer under the conditions specified for other international students or by taking examinations which are applied to all international students.
International students must comply with the terms and conditions of the university they want to be transferred. These terms and conditions include taking an exam that enables the student attend to a higher education institution that has equivalency in Turkey or meeting the requirement of average determined by the university he/she wants. For instance, while some universities subject international students to their own exams, others might evaluate the students by their grade point average. Each university has different quotas on international students.
9) The allegation that Syrians in Bursa killed a horse by cutting its head
ATTENTION: Sensitive content.
It is claimed that Syrians in Bursa, a city in the Marmara region, killed a horse by cutting its head with a video shared in the social media.
The allegation that the person cutting the horse’s head is Syrian does not representing truth. The video got in circulation in the internet in February 2014, After this, in a news in Al-Arabiya channel, centered in Saudi Arabia, it is said that the video is from Saudi Arabia.
The incident took place in “Trend” section of BBC Arabic in 17 February 2014 and it is stated that Twitter users reacted this with tag محاسبة_معذبي_الحصان# (Tormentors of animals must be punished) including 36 thousands tweets.
Click for the detailed analyses.
10) Allegation on Syrians queuing outside Organization of Post and Telegraph (PTT) branches in order to get their salary
The allegation that Syrians living in Turkey are paid salaries and they queue outside Organization of Post and Telegraph (PTT) branches in order to get their salaries is frequently circulated on several news sites and social media.
TW: On the left, there are Syrians waiting for their salaries outside PTT... on the right, citizens of my country who sell vegetable/fruit to gain chicken feed...!
Contrary to the allegations, in the provinces with high Syrian refugee density, people queue outside the PTT branches in order to get their winter aid provided by The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
On the website of the United Nations it was stated that for the aid, 50,948 PTT debit cards were delivered and it reached out 254,740 people. The official Facebook page of UNHCR mentioned that an amount of 600 to 900 Turkish Liras was loaded to each card as winter aid for the refugees.
11) The allegation that two Syrians kidnapped and raped a woman in Bursa
In the social media, it is claimed that two Syrians kidnapped Serpil Yıldırım when she arrived home after the work and they killed her after they raped her.
However, this claim does not representing truth. The photograph is belonging to another incident in 2013.
The incident happened in Istanbul in 2 January 2013. Gülşan Sarcan was killed by her husband because she got divorced from him.
Bursa Provincial Directorate of Security’s Homicide department said to teyit.org that such an incident did not happened.
Click for the detailed analysis.
12) Allegation on Syrians queuing in Gaziantep for citizenship
Through a photo shared on social media, it has been claimed that Syrians queued to apply for citizenship outside the Şehitkamil District Registry Office in Gaziantep. However, it is not true that the photo which was also shared by Erk Acarer, columnist for BirGün daily, showed “the queue for application of citizenship”.
Facebook Post: They have scores of tricks. This photo was taken in Antep. Syrians are in the queue for citizenship... They could not postpone it until after April 16 because “yes” vote is needed.
The photo belongs to the story titled “Response with Baton to Stampedes of Syrians Waiting for Address Declaration” which was reported by Dogan News Agency (DHA) on December 9, 2016. It is stated in the story that Syrians, who wanted to benefit from aids in the amount of 100 TL provided by Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation as well as such aid agencies as the Red Crescent, rushed into the Registry Office in early morning in order to notify their addresses.
Photo: DHA
13) The allegation that a Syrian refugee beat a doctor
In the social media, it is claimed that a Syrian asylum seeker beat a woman doctor in a hospital.
However, the claim does not representing the truth. The video is from an incident happened in 23 February 2017 in Veliky Novgorod, Russia. The drunk person attacking to the workers at the hospital in the waiting room was arrested.
Click for the detailed analyses.
Compilers: Gülin Çavuş, Çınar Livane Özer, Mehmet Atakan Foça, Taha Onur Selimoğlu, Ali Osman Arabacı
Translation: Melek Güler, Gizem Dikmen
Publishing date: 03.04.2017
LAST UPDATE: 20.09.2017 / 14:10
