A Turkish man was severely beaten by a racist Dutch mob in Belgium for supporting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reports said Monday.

The incident took place in Neerpelt municipality near the Dutch border on May 21, when a Turkish man identified as Ali Fakıoğlu was intercepted by a mob after closing his restaurant at night, who was then subjected to verbal and physical harassment.

Fakıoğlu said the Dutch mob, whose members were wearing clothes bearing racist symbols, asked him if he supports Erdoğan, then started beating him.





"I told them that Erdoğan is the head of the Turkish state and that they should not insult him," Fakıoğlu said, adding that the mob started hitting him on the head and face with glass and heavy objects.

The Turkish man continued by saying that a Belgian woman who tried to stop the mob also received wounds to the head, while he noted that hospital officials refused to give emergency care as they were scared of his physical state, and waited for the police to arrive.

He received over 40 stitches on his head and face as a result of the attack and lost about 10 percent of his vision. He told Daily Sabah that he will take legal action against the attack.

Meanwhile, police identified the attackers through surveillance footage and captured them. Two of the attackers are Dutch citizens living in Belgium, while the third attacker was also a Dutch citizen visiting the pair living in Belgium.

Two of the attackers are in jail pending trial, while the other one is still being interrogated by law enforcement officials.

A Belgian woman also received wounds to the head after attempting to stop the racist group.

Basir Hamarat, the Belgian head of the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD) visited the victim of the racist attack to extend his support: "No citizen of the Turkish Republic is alone. You won't be left on your own; we're with you."

Fakıoğlu and his lawyer expressed concern about Belgian authorities releasing the attackers on fictitious grounds, saying that they may release them saying that the trio was not conscious when they carried out the attack.

He also noted that the attack has negatively affected his family-run business, as he was unable to open the restaurant for a week.

There are around 200,000 Turkish people living in Belgium.

The number of attacks against migrants throughout Europe has increased in the past few years, while more lawmakers support anti-migrant rhetoric.

Belgian lawmakers called for an end to dual nationality after Turkey's unofficial constitutional reform referendum results revealed that 75 percent of Turkish citizens voted in favor of it. Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V) lawmaker Hendrik Bogaert called for the abolition of dual citizenship and said, "We cannot say that nothing has happened. Such dual nationality is not conducive to integration. One is eventually more engaged in foreign rather than Belgian politics.

Turkey also criticizes Belgium for allowing the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and the PKK terrorist organization to freely carry out activities in their countries.