Tension Escalates in Belgium Following Clashes Between Turkish and Kurdish Communities

Following recent violent clashes between the Turkish and Kurdish communities in Heusden-Zolder and Houthalen-Helchteren, Belgium, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Türkiye reached out to Efe Tapmaz, a 16-year-old Turkish teenager injured during the confrontations. Erdogan condemned the attacks, attributing them to sympathizers of the PKK, a group Türkiye recently listed as a terrorist organization. The incident, which took place amid Kurdish Newroz celebrations, has heightened tensions between the communities, with the Turkish president labeling the attackers as "immoral" and "despicable."