Subscribe to our newsletters

Sign up to our morning and evening newsletters for Garowe's well curated list of our daily highlights.

Garowe Online
  • Home
  • Somalia
  • World
    • Africa
  • National Security
  • Environment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Cartoons
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
Garowe Online
  • Home
  • Somalia
  • World
    • Africa
  • National Security
  • Environment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Cartoons
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Garowe Online
No Result
View All Result

Somalis Under Xenophobic Attacks in Turkey

Author
01/13/2022
in World
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Somalis Under Xenophobic Attacks in Turkey
0
SHARES
4
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

You might also like

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan ousted in no-confidence vote

European nations blocking black Africans fleeing from Ukraine

IIhan Omar writes to Biden over US sanctions policy on Somalia





Somalis Under Xenophobic Attacks in Turkey

Somalis Under Xenophobic Attacks in Turkey

ISTANBUL – For years, Somalis have contributed handsomely to the Turkish economy, but now the prosperity of the group has become a target of abuse in Turkey, where anti-immigrant sentiments are on the rise.

As per the international think tank based in Canada, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS), Turkey is an opportunist country that has its own agenda focused on geoeconomics and geopolitics. Instead of facilitating Somalia's development, Turkey has used state-sponsored corporations to exploit its assets, all as part of a development trap cloaked in the guise of religion.

A decade ago in 2011, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had landed in Mogadishu amid the devastation of one of the worst famines in Somalia's history.

During that time, his announcement of grandiose projects like the launch of Turkish Airlines flights to the Somali capital, remodeling of a hospital, and opening of Turkey's biggest embassy in Africa in Somalia had shown that Turkey's mission went well beyond aid and that Ankara was an alternative to Somalia's traditional donors.

The historic visit had earned Erdogan high praise throughout Somalia.

A decade on, Somalis are starting to realize that Turkey has evolved from friend to foe, from trade partner to trade protectionist, from state builder to outright spoiler, reported IFFRAS.

Somalis own various shops and consultancy firms in Ankara. One can also see Somali restaurants, barbers, markets, and women hairdressers in different streets of the capital.

Until recently, the pro-Turkish government media was all gaga over the contribution made by Somali entrepreneurs to the Turkish economy. However, lately, the prosperity of a Somali-dominant neighborhood has become a target of abuse in Turkey.

In April 2021, a right-wing newspaper is known for its anti-immigrant coverage, featured this area in a report, and put it on the radar of the nation. Under the headline“Ankara's hub became Somalia”, the report said businesspeople and asylum seekers from the East African country had completely transformed two streets in Kizilay“into their own country”.

Since then, police in plainclothes started to pay frequent visits to Somali-owned businesses here, making sporadic identification checks and harassing customers, reported IFFRAS.

In September 2021, in an incident that shocked the neighborhood, police detained and handed deportation orders to several Somali business owners in the area, forcing them to sell their enterprises or close them down altogether.

In a shocking incident, signboards of shops containing the name 'Somalia' or the phrases in Somali were forcibly dismantled or replaced with Turkish names e.g. Somali Sofrasi became Guzelyurt Sofrasi.

The Somalis and shopkeepers claimed that the signboards were changed upon the pressure of the security officers, while the security officers said that such transactions were made by the municipality and they did not have any information on the subject, reported IFFRAS.

According to eyewitnesses, Somalis who come to the street are forcibly taken to the police station for reasons such as identity application, and released after being kept waiting for hours. Somali customers no longer feel safe coming to the streets due to these practices.

This recent experience has made them worried about their future. The business of Somalis has suffered. People don't want to come to their shops anymore.

A source, familiar with police's thinking, told that local authorities primarily don't want Somalis and their businesses to be visible in the heart of Ankara. Xenophobia is soaring in Turkey and the police don't want Somalis in Kizilay.

They just want Somalis to be invisible in the heart of the city, reported IFFRAS.

Source: Ani News

Copyright © GAROWONLINE All Rights Reserved


Tags: world

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates direct to your inbox!

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Blockade creates ‘hell’ in Ethiopia’s Tigray: WHO

Next Post

Ethiopian PM has ‘special responsibility’ to end Tigray conflict: Nobel panel

Recommended For You

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan ousted in no-confidence vote

04/11/2022
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan ousted in no-confidence vote

ISLAMABAD, April 10 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted on Sunday when he lost a vote of confidence in parliament, after being deserted by coalition...

Read more

European nations blocking black Africans fleeing from Ukraine

02/27/2022
European nations blocking black Africans fleeing from Ukraine

Fighting between Russia and Ukraine continued for the fourth day on Sunday as Moscow continued to shell top cities in Ukraine amid pressure from world powers to have...

Read more

IIhan Omar writes to Biden over US sanctions policy on Somalia

02/12/2022
IIhan Omar writes to Biden over US sanctions policy on Somalia

WASHINGTON- Firebrand congresswoman Ilhan Omar has written to US President Joe Biden over Washington's Sanctions Policy in Somalia. Just a day after State Department threatened to punish people...

Read more

UN: Over 2000 Houthi-recruited child soldiers die in battlefield

01/31/2022
UN: Over 2000 Houthi-recruited child soldiers die in battlefield

A report published by the United Nations' panel of experts suggests that over 2000 child soldiers recruited by the Houthi rebels have died on separate occasions at the...

Read more

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related News

At least 108 civilians killed this month in Tigray airstrikes: UN

At least 108 civilians killed this month in Tigray airstrikes: UN

01/15/2022
From career diplomat to persona non grata: What went wrong for Amb. Madeira?

From career diplomat to persona non grata: What went wrong for Amb. Madeira?

04/07/2022
UN: Over 2000 Houthi-recruited child soldiers die in battlefield

UN: Over 2000 Houthi-recruited child soldiers die in battlefield

01/31/2022

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Business
  • Business
  • Cartoons
  • Editorial
  • Environment
  • National Security
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Somalia
  • World
Garowe Online

The independent news Web site GaroweOnline.com is the online sister publication of Radio Garowe, a community radio station based in Garowe, the State capital of Puntland, a self-governing region in northern Somalia.

CATEGORIES

  • Africa
  • Business
  • Business
  • Cartoons
  • Editorial
  • Environment
  • National Security
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Somalia
  • World

BROWSE BY TAG

Abdirahman Abdishakur Abiy Ahmed africa Africom Al-Shabaab Al shabaab alshabaab AMISOM ATMIS Biden Danab election elections Eritrea Ethiopia Fahad Yasiin farmajo featured federal Hassan Shiekh Journalist Kenya Madeira mogadishu NISA Oil Parliament Police Puntland roble Rooble Said Dani SNA somalia somaliland Tigray Turkey UAE Ukrain UN US USA Villa Somalia WFP world

Copyright © GAROWONLINE All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Somalia
  • World
    • Africa
  • National Security
  • Environment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Cartoons
  • Sports

Copyright © GAROWONLINE All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In