Al Jazeera journalist, Rokaya Celik, has been attacked in Istanbul by a member of İyi, a nationalist, right-wing get together.
“One of many representatives of the İyi Get together came to visit when he heard I used to be talking Arabic,” says Rokaya, who was at work reporting on the upcoming parliamentary elections.
“He began swearing and saying, ‘There isn’t a place for Arabs right here, return to your individual nation’.”
“I’m Turkish, the place shall I’m going?” she requested, and tried to proceed working.
“It is a Turkish Republic, return to your individual nation,” he stated, earlier than attacking her and camerawoman, Dima Mansour, knocking Rokaya’s microphone from her hand.
When reporter is an Arab, they nearly lynch her however when from a western nation, they race for giving an interview.
That is Turkish xenophobic opposition. https://t.co/xRJbtWMoFi— İbrahim Karataş (@ibratas1) May 9, 2023
On Sunday, Turks will head to the polls to decide on between a coalition of six opposition events, together with İyi, and headed by Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The choice is the present President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in energy for 20 years.
Observers have accused each Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu of utilizing the nation’s 3.7 million Syrian refugees as a scapegoat for the deteriorating financial system and, in flip, fuelling an increase in racism which has flared throughout the nation.
Kendi ülkelerinde evden dışarı çıkamayan bu müptezeller, Atatürk Türkiye’sinde şımarıkça davranma cüreti gösteriyor.
Zafer gelecek, tüm sığınmacılar gidecek. https://t.co/NEYiNNkFWH— Prof. Dr. Şahin FİLİZ (@proffiliz) May 9, 2023
Unable to depart the home in their very own nation, these wicked individuals dare to behave in a method that’s spoiling Ataturk’s Turkey.
Kilicdaroglu has pledged to ship residence hundreds of thousands of Afghans and Syrians, declaring at one press convention: “We don’t need the demographic construction of our nation to alter.”
Rokaya and Dima Mansour have been in Umraniye, a district on the Asian facet of Istanbul, which is thought for its various inhabitants and the place political events from all sides work collectively.
Rokaya says she senses an increase in racism towards anybody overheard talking Arabic: “The dialog about expelling and taking away individuals’s citizenship has elevated a lot towards Arabs, foreigners and refugees. There may be a lot rigidity on the street,” she tells MEMO.
Tüm mülteciler, sığınmacılar son 20 yılda haksiz yere vatandaşlık alanlar(ev satınalmayla),kaçak çalışanlar (Suriyeli,Afgan,İran’li, ıraklı,Rus,Ukraynali,Afrikalı,Emekli Avrupalılar)sınır dışı edilmeli.13,5 milyon yükten kurtulunmali
— T.C Akay (@AKBilgeKisi) May 9, 2023
All refugees, asylum seekers and people who have been unjustly naturalised within the final 20 years – Syrian, Afghan, Iranian, Iraqi, Russian, Ukrainian, African, retired Europeans – ought to be deported and we ought to be relieved of the burden of 13.5 million individuals.
“We face loads of challenges while at work, however that is the primary time I’ve been bodily attacked while in Turkiye. There may be loads of polarisation right here; politicians are taking part in faiths and sects towards one another of their election campaigns.”
“Arab journalists concern speaking and reporting on information on the street due to the rise of racism,” she continues. “They do not differentiate between anybody – a refugee, a journalist or every other individual.”
Siz bu vatandaşlığı para ile satın aldınız. Bizler vatandaşlık için canımızı verdik. Hepinizi ait olduğunuz yere göndereceğiz.
— övgün 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰚 (@Ahmet19051919) May 8, 2023
You got your citizenship together with your cash. We gave our lives for our citizenship. We’ll ship you again to the place you got here from.
Rokaya is Egyptian and was granted Turkish nationality by means of her work visa. In addition to this, her father has historic roots within the nation.
She is married to a Turkish nationwide, which additionally offers her the suitable to Turkish nationality. She can also be the mom of two ladies who solely have Turkish passports.
“My arm remains to be hurting now,” Rokaya tells MEMO. “If it wasn’t for the police and different individuals from completely different events who got here and tried to guard us, they would not have stopped.”
READ: ‘Racists’ force Turkiye brand to withdraw t-shirt with Arabic writing
