Anti-Arabism in Turkey

Anti-Arabism in Turkey refers to the opposition, hostility, hatred, distrust, fear, and general dislike of Arabs or Arab culture in Turkey.[1] Turkey has a history of strong anti-Arabism dating back to the Ottoman Empire, which has risen significantly in recent years because of the Syrian refugee crisis.[1][2]

Anti-Arabism in the Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire was a multi-cultural empire. Most high government 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 former 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 told the 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 1940s, 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 alleged ongoing Arab persecutions 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]

Growing influx of Arab refugees in Turkey led to a serious wave of anti-Arabism.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Palestinians Were Spared Turkey's Rising anti-Arab Hate. Until Now". Haaretz. 2019-07-16. Archived from the original on 2019-08-26. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  2. Tremblay, Pinar (2014-08-21). "Anti-Arab sentiment on rise in Turkey". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 2019-08-27. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  3. "The debris of history: Christians and Arabs of the Ottoman Empire". Ahval. Archived from the original on 2019-09-25. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
  4. "Syrian refugees who were welcomed in Turkey now face backlash". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  5. "Mayor of Istanbul: Turkey badly managed refugees". BBC News. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  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. S2CID 145675272.
  7. Seni, Nora. "Arabs and Turks: So Close Yet So Far". www.cairn-int.info. Archived from the original on 2019-09-25. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
  8. Mammone, Andrea; Godin, Emmanuel; Jenkins, Brian (2013-05-07). Varieties of Right-Wing Extremism in Europe. ISBN 9781136167515. Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  9. "Turkmens: The Turkish minority fighting for survival in Syria". ABC News. 2015-11-25. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  10. "Refworld | Iraq: Iraqi-Turkmen (Turkomen); treatment by Iraqi government, security and police personnel as well as general public". Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  11. "Erdogan Wants to Redraw the Middle East's Ethnic Map". Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  12. "Turkey's Nativist Turn against Syrian Refugees and Other Arabs". Archived from the original on 2019-10-14. Retrieved 2019-09-25.
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