Watan – In recent days, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pledged to hold accountable those who harbor xenophobic sentiments, targeting both Turks and foreigners within the nation. Prominent Turkish writer, Yasin Aktay, has highlighted that this rising anti-Arab sentiment has cost Turkey a whopping $5 billion this summer alone.
Aktay emphasized that the escalating rhetoric of xenophobia and foreigner disdain has negatively impacted the Turkish economy. Erdoğan’s advisor from the Justice and Development Party stated that the objective of these xenophobes isn’t merely to foster resentment against Arabs but to divert Arab tourism and investments away from Turkey.
In an article published by the Turkish newspaper “Yeni Şafak,” Aktay opined that past terrorist attacks targeting markets and public facilities in various Turkish cities aimed to portray Turkey as an unsafe country. This undermined the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism to counter such narratives.
Aktay believes that those who couldn’t undermine tourism through terrorism found another avenue by fueling foreigner hatred. Especially against Arabs, these sentiments don’t just remain within Turkey but reach the Arab world.
The writer questioned the difference in intent and purpose between xenophobic acts, which cost Turkey billions in mere months, and what he termed as “terrorist activities.”
Furthermore, Aktay stressed the severe consequences of foreigner hatred, especially against Arabs. He cited sequential interviews with Syrian businessmen conducted by political science professor, Zahida Tuba Kur. Kur stated that due to the amplified portrayal of crimes against Syrians in Arab media, Turkey is gradually perceived as a xenophobic country in the Arab world.
She added that many foreigners, primarily Arab traders who established companies in Turkey, have ceased their ventures due to this discrimination. They’ve expressed sentiments like, “Close the company and its accounts; we don’t want to do business in Turkey again.”
In conclusion, the article underscores the gravity of the situation, emphasizing that those promoting xenophobia are inflicting more insidious harm on the Turkish state and its people than even the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, as per Aktay’s expression.
SEO Short Description: Rising anti-Arab sentiments in Turkey have led to significant economic repercussions, with the country facing a $5 billion loss this summer. President Erdoğan pledges to combat this growing xenophobia.