Inflamed by Opposition and Warned by Erdogan: How Does Racism Against Arabs Threaten Turkish Economy?

Despite their diverse nationalities, many Arabs in Turkiye are experiencing a noticeable wave of racism targeting their presence, whether they are forcibly displaced, tourists, or residents for political or economic reasons.

The phenomenon of targeting Arabs has become evident, and at times, it appears to be orchestrated by the Turkish opposition, especially in tourist attraction cities like Istanbul and Trabzon.

This situation prompted the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and local Turkish media to issue warnings against targeting foreigners, especially Arabs, highlighting the repercussions of this wave on the country's economy amidst its ongoing crises.

 

Offensive Assaults

Over the past few months, videos have been circulating on social media capturing incidents of Arab and Gulf tourists being harassed, some of which have been labeled as racially motivated.

The crisis began to emerge prior to the Turkish elections, which concluded on May 28, 2023, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's victory.

During that time, the opposition and its affiliated media adopted an anti-foreigner and anti-immigrant discourse, specifically targeting Syrians.

Even though the elections have concluded, acts of racism and hatred haven't abated — they rather have intensified to a concerning degree.

One of the most notable incidents involved a 14-year-old Yemeni boy in a residential complex in Istanbul at the beginning of August 2023.

He got into a fight with a Turkish boy close to his age, which escalated into a larger confrontation involving several Turks who proceeded to beat the Yemeni boy. His brother attempted to defend him but was also attacked.

This incident gained widespread attention in Arab circles, and the Turkish government intervened to contain it.

However, this wasn't an isolated incident; it took place within the broader context of a pervasive trend.

On August 10, 2023, a video showed an argument between a woman from the Gulf and a Turkish woman in an Istanbul restaurant.

The Gulf woman expressed her frustration, saying, "If you don't want us here, close tourism. If you have an issue, go talk to Erdogan; don't talk to us."

These remarks reflected the tourist's anger over the harassment she had faced inside the restaurant.

However, the most challenging incident among these events occurred on August 20, 2023, when Jamal Douman, a 57-year-old Moroccan, died after being critically injured in a brawl with a Turkish driver in Istanbul.

The latter punched him, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground. This incident generated significant social media attention and renewed discussions about the growing racism towards Arabs in Turkiye.

 

Official Intervention

Various Arab organizations in Turkiye approached the authorities to address this escalating situation.

On August 9, 2023, the Syrian Islamic Council met with President Erdogan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara and discussed the issues of racism and the recent mistreatment of Syrian refugees.

According to the council's official Facebook page, the Grand Mufti of the Syrian Republic and the council's president, Sheikh Osama al-Rifai, along with a delegation of scholars, urged the president to use his authority to preserve Turkiye's ethical reputation among Arabs and Muslims.

President Erdogan, on August 22, during a graduation ceremony for officers of the Turkish Gendarmerie and Coast Guard in Ankara, stated, "We cannot allow racism and hatred towards foreigners, which have no place in our history, culture, or beliefs, to spread in our society," emphasizing that "Turkiye will not allow a few ignorant individuals to tarnish its clean record as a haven for the oppressed and persecuted for centuries."

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, in a televised interview with Al-Jazeera on August 25, stated that his government would not tolerate the spread of racism and hatred towards foreigners in society.

When asked about the measures taken to address the situation against Arabs, whether they are residents, tourists, or refugees, he explained that public prosecutors are monitoring hate speech within the framework of the law.

He stressed that there is no place for racism and hatred in Turkish history, culture, or beliefs.

Yerlikaya expressed regret that some fringe individuals with marginal ideas declare their hostility towards foreigners.

He clarified that this is a problem, and it is not possible to make everyone think in the ideal way.

The Turkish Interior Minister assured that authorities are monitoring and tracking these fringe individuals; mor e importantly, Turkish society does not give them importance or value, he concluded.

 

Massive Investments

Over the past decade, Turkiye has served as a social and political haven for millions of Arabs who flocked to the country following the Arab Spring uprisings and the turmoil that engulfed their homelands.

Turkiye opened its doors to education for tens of thousands of Arab scholars within its diverse universities.

Additionally, there was a voluntary migration of investors and others who sought to purchase properties and make investments, all motivated by the desire for stability or permanent residency.

According to estimates from the Arab Association in Istanbul, the number of Arabs residing in Turkiye reached approximately 5 million by March 2022.

Regarding the scale of Arab investments in Turkiye, the local news outlet TurkPress reported on February 2, 2020, that these investments were valued at $52 billion from 2003 to 2020, averaging $3 billion per fiscal year.

As for direct investments and company acquisitions, the Central Bank of Turkiye estimated that Gulf countries, excluding Bahrain, held a share of about 9% of the total foreign direct investments in Turkiye, which amounted to $133 billion as of 2018.

Data indicates that the contribution of Arab investments increased from 8% of the total foreign investments in 2016 to 16% by the end of 2019.

In the tourism sector, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism revealed on July 18, 2023, that more than 15 million people had visited the country in the first five months of the year.

It was noted that the largest group of Arab nationals visiting the country were Saudis, surpassing half a million tourists.

Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy declared on June 27, 2023, that tourism is Turkiye's "oil," emphasizing their goal for the current year to achieve $56 billion in tourism revenue.

 

Costly Repercussions

However, the goal set by the Minister is at risk due to the harassment faced by Arab tourists; local newspapers warned on August 23 about the danger of the situation.

It reported that the escalating animosity against Arabs and the racial incitement had resulted in losses amounting to approximately $2 billion for the Turkish economy.

The relocation of many Arab businessmen's operations out of the country significantly contributed to these losses.

It pointed out that the effects of anti-Arab sentiment in Turkiye have become evident and strong over the past two months. Local economic sectors tied to Arab companies have been negatively affected due to racial tensions and hostilities.

Emre Kigili, a researcher at the Turkish SETA Center for Studies, called on the government and parliament to enact legislation that deters racist practices in general and against foreigners in particular.

He argued that such actions have exceeded limits and are harming Turkiye's economy and global reputation.

He said that after the period of turmoil and economic crises in the 1990s during the governments of Tansu Ciller and Mesut Yilmaz and the military coup in 1997, Turkiye began to open up to the world and sought comprehensive economic revival. This was especially evident after the Justice and Development Party came to power, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Since then, Istanbul and Turkiye have become a magnet for tourists, especially Arabs, who have arrived in large numbers, investing billions in vital sectors like land and real estate. Therefore, targeting them will incur severe losses for the country, undoing what has been achieved over the past 20 years and more," he added.

"This is because the state's strategy since that time has been based on engaging with its regional and historical surroundings, building bridges to the Arab and Islamic world, and adopting a zero-problem policy to overcome past mistakes and the long rupture between Turks and Arabs."

Kigili emphasized that Turkiye is not an ordinary country; it is one of the most important and largest countries in the Islamic world. It was the brainchild of the idea to establish the Group of Eight (Go8) during the era of the late Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, who sought to achieve economic strength and stability for Islamic countries.

Based on this, Kigili added that the issue of rapprochement with the central regional and historical sphere of influence for Turkiye is a matter of national security.

This begins with strengthening relations with Arab and Muslim peoples, which is happening through tourism, education, and cultural exchange.

"Therefore, there must be measures to protect Turkish society and safeguard newcomers from those who stir racial tendencies and subject others to harassment. Tourists can easily decide not to come to Turkiye again and look for more comfortable and stable destinations."