Gaza Metropolis, Gaza Strip — Because the Israeli navy stormed Turkey’s Mavi Marmara on Could 31, 2010, which resulted within the killing of 9 Turkish pro-Palestinian activists who have been aboard the ship that was heading to the Gaza Strip in a bid to interrupt the Israeli blockade imposed since 2007, Turkey has develop into an necessary vacation spot for Palestinian youth in search of to review, work and lead a greater life.
Since then, Palestinians had develop into more and more within the Turkish tradition and language, and Turkish language faculties and institutes within the Gaza Strip gained reputation.
Nonetheless, over the previous few years, the Palestinians’ demand to study Turkish in these faculties has decreased in addition to their need to journey to Turkey for work or take up residence. This reluctance has elevated considerably prior to now few months.
The Ottoman Culture Center, established by Turkey’s Humanitarian Reduction Basis (IHH) in 2009, and funded by the Turkish authorities, is likely one of the most necessary facilities for language and pc research in Gaza.
Omar Saleh, the middle’s government director, informed Al-Monitor that the Palestinians’ curiosity in studying the Turkish language has decreased since 2017. A larger curiosity within the English language has emerged, he stated.
He defined that years in the past, many Gazans rushed to study Turkish, particularly these eager to go to Turkey to search out work, go to college or to migrate.
Saleh added, “Immediately the middle’s college students are college college students who want to acquire scholarships that the Turkish authorities supplies yearly to the Palestinians.” This 12 months, the middle launched 4 English-language programs, and never a single course to study Turkish because of the low turnout.
A number of financial and political occasions — primarily the ongoing depreciation of the Turkish forex (which dropped to $0.10) and the disappearance of seven Palestinian residents of Turkey in September — might be behind this development.
The Hamas-affiliated Shehab information company reported Oct. 10 that the seven Palestinians are being held in Turkish prisons for involvement in Turkish national security-related cases.
As well as, Turkey is now not an appropriate place for Palestinian job seekers who’re discovering higher alternatives in different European international locations, corresponding to Germany, Austria and Belgium. There aren’t any statistics indicating the variety of Palestinians who’ve lately arrived in Turkey — lots of them move by Turkey en path to different international locations.
In an interview with the New York Post on Dec. 3, 2019, the head of the Palestinian neighborhood in Istanbul, Hazem Antar, stated that roughly 20,000-22,000 Palestinians lived in Turkey at the moment.
Khamis al-Saidi, 22, who traveled to Turkey three years in the past looking for a job, informed Al-Monitor, “Working in Turkey was a golden thought for me and the unemployed Palestinian youth. That’s the reason I used to be enrolled in a Turkish-language institute [in Gaza].”
He stated that he labored in a number of sectors in Turkey, corresponding to clothes, agriculture and meals, earlier than he determined to maneuver to Belgium two months in the past.
He famous, “Dwelling in Turkey has develop into extra difficult for refugees and expatriates. Turkey is now not a vacation spot for job seekers, amid the dearth of job alternatives and low wages.”
In accordance with Saidi, the deterioration of the Turkish lira is the results of a saturated marketplace for job seekers because of the Turkish coverage of attracting refugees corresponding to Syrians and Afghans. When he moved to Turkey three years in the past, the lira was price $0.18, in contrast with $0.10 as we speak.
Ahmad Abu Tarabish, a Turkey-based Palestinian researcher on Turkish affairs and author for the Turkish Every day Sabah newspaper, informed Al-Monitor, “There are a number of components behind the Palestinians’ reluctance to work, stay or research in Turkey — most notably the coronavirus pandemic and imposed journey restrictions, along with Turkey’s monetary and financial disaster since mid-2018 that has exacerbated due to the pandemic.”
He stated, “With an unemployment fee of 12%, inflation reaching 20% and the native forex having misplaced practically two-thirds of its worth, Gazans are discovering that they’ve fewer probabilities to maneuver to Turkey, particularly in gentle of those financial indicators.”
On the official degree, Turkey continues to be dedicated to its stance in solidarity with the Palestinians, particularly the besieged Gaza Strip. Turkey continues to pump aid within the Palestinian territories in any respect ranges, primarily in assist of reduction companies and infrastructure. On Oct. 31, IHH provided assistance to 100 households affected by the current Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Osama Abu Nahl, a professor of politics and worldwide relations at Al-Azhar College in Gaza, informed Al-Monitor, “Since 2010, Turkey has opened its doorways to Palestinians and different residents, as a part of its openness to the Arab world, which prompted the Palestinians to study the Turkish language. But the scenario has modified lately, particularly the financial scenario and forex devaluation.”
He stated that the forex devaluation has negatively affected Turkish residents and expats, making it troublesome for the latter to avoid wasting and alternate cash to onerous forex earlier than transferring it to their households at dwelling, not to mention protecting their very own bills in Turkey.
He added, “At current Turkey is nothing however a transit hall to Europe for a lot of Palestinians who arrive there. For this reason they now not must study the language as a result of they don’t intend to remain there.”
He stated that Turkey nonetheless needs to have good relations with the Palestinians, whether or not with the Palestinian Authority or resistance actions corresponding to Hamas, as a result of Turkey needs to be the chief within the area and affect the Palestinian trigger.
