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Syrian migrants earn as little as 3,000 Turkish lira a month, or about £70 – far less than the 17,200 Turkish lira mandatory minimum wage.
The three Syrian men killed, for instance, barely made ends meet working shifts on various construction sites in Guzelbahce, or “beautiful garden,” an upscale district in Izmir, a breezy, balmy holiday destination popular with Turks and foreigners alike.
The murder investigation and ensuing court case, much like the graves, has largely been forgotten in Turkey – save for a staunch handful of human rights lawyers and refugee advocates.
For the last few years, they’ve been tirelessly pushing for a final court decision that would specifically identify hate and discrimination as a motive behind the murders – in essence, to classify the heinous homicides as a hate crime, thereby setting a new legal precedent in Turkey.
Such an outcome – designating this as a hate crime – would represent a landmark decision for Turkey. Until now, no court in the country has ruled in this manner.
There was strong impetus to do so, as the defendant, Kemal Korukmaz, had earlier confessed. Evidence and testimony presented in court also indicated that he had spoken of “cleaning” Turkey of Syrians, including specifically that he wanted to kill them, in the weeks prior to the crime.
“Your views on hate motives will set a precedent for future laws,” Zafer Incin, one of five lawyers representing the victims’ families, said to the judges in the final hearing on Wednesday. “We think emphasising the hate motive in this decision will pave the way for legal developments in Parliament.”
But on Wednesday, a court in Izmir convicted Korukmaz to life in prison, as expected, though failed to issue a final judgement with any mention of hate as a motive, to the disappointment of the victims’ families and lawyers.
Activists have criticised Turkish courts for shying away from doing so, as it would open up a can of worms and lead to a deluge of requests for cases to be re-examined.
“If that decision were taken, then hundreds of cases could be opened – and not only regarding Syrian refugees,” said Taha el-Gazi, a Syrian human rights activist in Turkey. “A lot of cases would have to be reopened.”
The presence of more than a dozen armed riot police, including some in plainclothes, in the courtroom for the final hearing underscored the sensitive political nature of the case.
Even the defendant’s lawyer declined to speak to The Telegraph on the record, saying he was concerned of public reprisals for representing Mr Korukmaz – another example demonstrating the fraught circumstances of the case.
‘There is no access to justice’
Activists say hundreds of violent incidents against Syrians have occurred across Turkey, though few ever make it to a day in court. About a dozen such cases are pending now in various courts throughout the country, said Ms Önen, who tracks and attends the legal proceedings.
“These attacks have a really chilling effect on the whole community,” said Ms Sinclair-Webb.
“People are very scared to complain; they find it difficult to complain to the police if they are victims of crime itself, because it can bring them trouble, rather than provoke an investigation into the real perpetrator,” she said. “There is a real sense that there is no access to justice.”
“I miss everything about Mamoun,” said Ahmed al-Nabhan, 33, of his late brother, who he cradled in his arms as a newborn. “Our mother was devastated; she’s been mourning ever since she learned of Mamoun’s death.”
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