Anti-Arabism in Turkey

Anti-Arabism in Turkey refers to the opposition, hostility, hatred, distrust, fear, and general dislike of Arabian people or culture in Turkey. It is among the strongest in the world.[1] Turkey has a history of strong anti-Arabism dated back from the Ottoman rule, which has been on a significant rise because of the Syrian refugee crisis.[1][2]

Anti-Arabism in the Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire was a multi-cultural empire. However, the Arabs were mostly excluded and instead only got appointed in local positions. Most of government's main positions were either held by Turks or non-Arab people, except for the Emirate of Hejaz under Ottoman rule. Future policy of anti-Arab sentiment, including the process of Turkification, led to the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans.[3]

Modern anti-Arabism

Haaretz reported that anti-Arabian racism in Turkey mainly affects two groups; tourists from the Gulf who are characterized as "rich and condescending" and the Syrian refugees in Turkey.[1] Haaretz also reported that anti-Syrian sentiment in Turkey is metastasizing into a general hostility toward all Arabs including the Palestinians.[1]

Ümit Özdağ, the deputy Chairman of the İyi Party, warned that Turkey risked becoming "a Middle Eastern country" because of the influx of refugees.[4] The current mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu has complained of Arabic signs on shop fronts, and said Syrians refugees were stealing jobs from locals. He also told BBC that “There are some parts of Turkey where the refugees outnumber the actual residents.”[5]

Depiction of Arabs in Turkey

Due to long historical anti-Arabism in the Ottoman Empire and subsequent Arab Revolt as a result, there is a strong negative depiction which was dated from Kemalist Turkey in 1930s, associating Arabs with backwardness.[6] This has continued influencing modern Turkish historiography and the crusade of Turkish soft power, with Arabs being frequently stereotyped as evil, uncivilized, terrorists, incompetent, stupid, etc. This depiction is frequently used in contrast to the alleged depiction of Turkic people as "noble, generous, fearsome, loyal, brave and spirited warriors".[7]

Anti-Arab sentiment is also further fueled by ultranationalist groups, including the Grey Wolves and pan-Turkist nationalist parties,[8] who called for invasions on the Arab World's Syria and Iraq, to prevent the ongoing Arab persecution of its Turkic populations in many Arab countries of the Middle East.[9][10] Subsequently, Turkey has begun a series of persecuting its Arab population, as well as desire to recreate the new Turkish border.[11]

In recent years, anti-Arabism has been linked with various attempts by Arab leaders to meddle into Turkish affairs, Turkey's alliance with Israel, which led to the discrimination against Arabs in Turkey grow.[12]

Growing influx of Arab refugees in Turkey led to a serious wave of anti-Arabism.[13]

See also

References
  1. "Palestinians Were Spared Turkey's Rising anti-Arab Hate. Until Now". Haaretz. 2019-07-16. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  2. Tremblay, Pinar (2014-08-21). "Anti-Arab sentiment on rise in Turkey". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  3. "The debris of history: Christians and Arabs of the Ottoman Empire". Ahval.
  4. "Syrian refugees who were welcomed in Turkey now face backlash". NBC News. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  5. "Anti-refugee sentiment grows in Turkey as government begins to send Syrians back". Los Angeles Times. 2019-07-25. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  6. AKTURK, AHMET SERDAR (2010). "Arabs in Kemalist Turkish Historiography". Middle Eastern Studies. 46 (5): 633–653. doi:10.1080/00263206.2010.504553. JSTOR 20775068.
  7. https://www.cairn-int.info/abstract-E_HER_160_0319--arabs-and-turks-so-close-yet-so-far.htm
  8. Mammone, Andrea; Godin, Emmanuel; Jenkins, Brian (2013-05-07). Varieties of Right-Wing Extremism in Europe. ISBN 9781136167515.
  9. "Turkmens: The Turkish minority fighting for survival in Syria". 2015-11-25.
  10. "Refworld | Iraq: Iraqi-Turkmen (Turkomen); treatment by Iraqi government, security and police personnel as well as general public".
  11. "Erdogan Wants to Redraw the Middle East's Ethnic Map".
  12. Bengio, Ofra; Özcan, Gencer (2001). "Old Grievances, New Fears: Arab Perceptions of Turkey and Its Alignment with Israel". Middle Eastern Studies. 37 (2): 50–92. doi:10.1080/714004395. JSTOR 4284156.
  13. "Turkey's Nativist Turn against Syrian Refugees and Other Arabs".
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