Four men are on the floor and two police officers are beating them violently. “People are lying under the rubble and you bastards are stealing spaghetti? We welcomed you to our country and what are you doing, stealing?” they shout.

One police officer sprays pepper spray in the faces of the men on the ground and another orders: “Break their hands with which they stole.”

Rescuers in the ruins in the Hatay region

So far, almost all incidents of violence recorded by the Turkish Human Rights Association (IHD) have occurred in Hatay, the country’s southernmost province, where the devastation is widespread. The city looks like it has been a war zone for years. Those who can, leave. Many others are still waiting for the rescue of their relatives who are under the rubble. In addition to the need for basic necessities, running water and a lack of latrines cause an unbearable stench in some areas, making it even more difficult for survivors and rescuers.

In the midst of all this, right-wing populists and nationalists are rising up, especially against refugees. Turkey is not even able to provide the necessities for its citizens and the refugees must disappear, many write. At the same time, again and again, innocent people are mistaken for looters.

They hit us on a dark road

In a video, two young men from Hatay recount how they were beaten by security guards while returning home carrying medicine for their parents. “They mistook us for looters and beat us up. Then they left us lying on the street,” says the older of the two brothers. Five young Kurds from Diyarbakir are also reported to have suffered almost the same treatment. According to human rights activists, they went to the earthquake area as volunteers, but were taken to the police station, where they were also beaten and left naked in another city. In another incident, the gendarmerie arrested two men as looters and, the next day, one was dead and the other in hospital.

Refugee lynchings

In another video posted on Twitter, three men, believed to be refugees, lie lifeless in the street. Voices are heard in the background: “The looters got what they deserved.” The Turkish Human Rights Union (IHD) stresses that torture is a crime against humanity, calling on the Turkish authorities to immediately find those responsible and bring them to justice.

Security conditions are tense

Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag announced that by the weekend 75 cases of looting had been recorded in the quake-hit zone, while 57 suspects had been detained. Police custody time in robbery and looting cases has been extended to 4 days. Usually, it is up to 24 hours.

There is no problem, Interior Minister Soilou insists

On the other hand, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu claimed on Sunday that there is no looting in his country and care is being taken to maintain security. He stated that the only problem is the spread of fake news. He also accused the Austrian rescue team, which suspended its work over the weekend for security reasons, of defaming Turkey. Michael Bauer, a spokesman for the Austrian Ministry of Defense, wrote in turn on Twitter that the rescuers of the Austrian armed forces are continuing their work under the protection of Turkish soldiers.

German rescue teams, which have been in Hatay, have also suspended their work since last Saturday. For security reasons, they had mostly stayed at base camp and would only participate in specific rescue missions. At the same time, more and more foreign rescuers are returning to their countries, while the chances of finding victims alive are decreasing.

Paramilitary groups are mobilizing in Hatay

Women, children and refugees in Hatay are at risk as paramilitary groups mobilize in the region. Hatay is Turkey’s southernmost province, on the Turkey-Syria border. Although it is far from the epicenter of the earthquake, the airport, several hospitals and the building of the Turkish Civil Defense Authority (AFAD) in the city were destroyed, which made the conditions even more difficult. It was only on Monday that the airport was put back into operation.