VIDEO: Turkish man slams Syrian refugee child to ground

A shocking video has emerged from one of Turkey's ancient marketplaces showing a street vendor running after a small Syrian boy before picking him up and slamming his body to the ground.

The incident, which took place on Thursday in the famous Kemeraltı bazaar in the western city of Izmir, showed people angrily confronting the street vendor and yelling at him as the boy remains on the ground.

Mustafa Toprak, the governor of Izmir, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that he ordered security forces to take all necessary measures to find the perpetrator. 

“This is unacceptable. I watched the footage with deep sorrow and ordered the security forces to do what needs to be done," Toprak said.

"The public prosecutor’s office will launch an investigation,” he added.

Eyewitnesses said that the boy had bruises on his face and briefly lost consciousness.

He was given water by passersby before leaving the bazaar crying, accompanied by a friend.

According to Turkish news site Daily Sabah the suspect, a 35-year-old man called Musa S., may stand trial for causing deliberate injury.

Musa, who sells street food, said that he reacted violently after the boy seized his pushcart and pushed it around before driving it into a woman.

The video has elicited a strong response on social media, with one user commenting, "If it was a Trump rally people would be cheering."

A similar reaction was elicited last year when a Syrian boy selling tissues in Izmir was repeatedly smacked across the face by a restaurant owner.

Images of the boy's bloodied and crying face went viral, prompting Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to order authorities to trace where the boy lived in order to compensate him.