Turkey Issues Travel Warning Against ‘Xenophobic’ America: Country Cautions Against Rising ‘Islamophobic’ Incidents Post Elections
Turkey has issued a cautionary travel warning for its citizens who are planning to visit the United States. The country issued the advisory after multiple incidents of violence were reported following the Tuesday’s general elections in America. Majority of the incidents are claimed to be of “anti-immigrant” and “racist” nature and are said to be the result of Donald Trump being elected as the 45th president of the United States.
In a rather ironic turn of events, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has issued a travel warning that cautions its citizens against traveling to the United States. For the country’s citizens who are already within America, Turkey has asked them to be extra vigilant. The country’s Foreign Ministry cited violent protests following the results of the general elections that were declared Tuesday as the reason behind the warning. The ministry appeared concerned about the “increasing verbal and physical attacks, and harassment of an anti-immigrant and racist nature,” reported The Republic.
Turkey issues warning over travel to U.S. after Trump protests https://t.co/9wASN9psz5 pic.twitter.com/PbKjFNXUvk
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 12, 2016
The country issued the travel advisory on Saturday, and it is meant for citizens living in or travelling to the United States. The warning essentially asks citizens to be vigilant due to rising “social tensions.”
“[Turks] who live in the United States or who are planning to travel to the U.S. should be vigilant due to risks linked to current events and social tensions. They should not approach zones where demonstrations are growing, take security precautions [and] closely follow news via local media.”
The travel advisory warned of the “increase, over the last few days, of verbal or physical aggression of a xenophobic or racist nature across the U.S.”
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Surprisingly, the country categorically said the warning was issued after reports surfaced about racist attacks following Donald Trump’s presidential election victory. The statement about the warning was posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website. It said the anti-Donald Trump demonstrations “occasionally featured acts of crime and violence.” Turkey was also aware of the detention of several demonstrators by security forces. The warning noted that “based on the demonstrators’ social media posts, the demonstrations will likely continue for some time.”
Turkey issues travel warning about US, citing anti-Donald Trump protests – AP via @breakinghttps://t.co/CqOyGJb0ac
— Lucky (@lucchaser) November 12, 2016
Interestingly, earlier this month, Turkey had strongly criticized the U.S. government’s decision to order family members of employees posted to the Istanbul Consulate to leave the country. The U.S. administration had issued the warning claiming security concerns. Speaking about the just-issued travel warning, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu claimed Istanbul or Ankara was “not more unsafe than any U.S. state.”
Turkey issues travel warning to US amid Trump protests https://t.co/68oWinMqIk
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) November 12, 2016
The warning from Turkey doesn’t appear to be baseless primarily because there have been persistent reports about intense protests. Protesters in multiple U.S. cities have been causing several disruptions since Donald Trump was declared winner of the general elections. Trump’s victory over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton was quite shocking, and many Americans were voicing their concerns about the promises Trump had made during his campaign.
Incidentally, it is the United States that regularly issues such travel advisories for people traveling to Turkey. Foreigners traveling to the country are routinely warned to practice extreme precaution due to the persistent bomb threats. Moreover, the civil unrest following a failed coup in July has jeopardized many foreigners. However, Ankara regularly and strongly condemns incidents it terms as “Islamophobic”. Turkey claims these incidents are increasing in the western countries, including in Europe. Referring to such racism-inspired violence, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the country’s citizens about the “intolerance which is spreading like the plague in some European countries,” reported World Bulletin.
[Featured Image by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]
