Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Opinion
  • Columns
  • Op-Ed
  • Reader's Corner
  • Editorial

Turkey's aid in global COVID-19 battle and lingering Turkophobia

by Serkan Aydın

May 14, 2020 - 12:05 am GMT+3
by Serkan Aydın May 14, 2020 12:05 am
RECOMMENDED
A view of an Azerbaijani checkpoint at the only land link of Karabakh with Armenia, in Karabakh, Azerbaijan, May 2, 2023. (AFP Photo)

Azerbaijan can grant amnesty to Karabakh Armenians

azerbaijan-armenia-relations

Turkophobia is a recurrent theme if you live in a "melting pot" of cultures such as the U.K. and the U.S. I remember having been severely punched by a Leeds United F.C. fan in a pub in Leeds, the U.K. in 2010 when I was a student at the University of Leeds. In 2005, two Leeds fans were stabbed to death by Galatasaray fans, and there is still bountiful anti-Turkish sentiment here in the city.

In 2016, I was refused entry into a Kurdish restaurant run by Iraqi Kurds just because I was wearing a Turkish football shirt after the football match between England and Turkey in Manchester.

Then, one unavoidably bumps into Greek, Serbian, Hungarian and Bulgarian societies fostering discrimination against Turks with reminiscence of Ottoman rule in the regions.

Right-wing Arabs are also there blaming modern Turkey for neo-Ottomanism. In December 2017, the United Arab Emirates' Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan shared a tweet that claimed an Ottoman general had robbed Medina during Ottoman rule.

The Armenian diaspora along with Western counterparts who utilize the Armenian issue as a political weapon targeting Turkey flex their muscles to commemorate the Armenian remembrance day on April 24.

Actually, the roots of anti-Turkism can be traced back to the arrival of the Huns in Europe. The fall of Constantinople and the Ottoman wars in Europe helped fuel the development of anti-Turkism. The famous Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus stated, "Turks are indeed human beings, but human existence as such is inferior to Christian existence, just as animalistic existence is inherently inferior to human existence" in his essay "On Turks, Jews and Indigenous" in 1518.

In his book "Orientalism" (1978), academic, political activist and literary critic Edward Said noted, "Until the end of the 17th century the 'Ottoman peril' lurked alongside Europe to represent for the whole of Christian civilization a constant danger, and in time European civilization incorporated that peril and its lore, its great events, figures, virtues, and vices, as something woven into the fabric of life."

Well, Turkophobia hasn’t vanished into the thin air and is still lingering in Europe. According to the European Network Against Racism, an international organization supported by the European Commission, half of all Turks in the Netherlands report having experienced racial discrimination. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently called the sincerity of the European Union into question, asserting that the EU has to prove that "it is not an Islamophobic Christian union by providing Turkey with full EU membership."

Today, Turkey’s attempts to project itself as a humanitarian power amid the coronavirus pandemic and its meaningful altruism is a very significant step in terms of both revealing solidarity and gaining appreciation. "So far, we have delivered medical equipment to 34 countries," Erdoğan said during a news conference in Istanbul following a Cabinet meeting. "We will continue our support (to other countries) in the upcoming days as well," he said.

Nowadays, British newspapers are dotted with articles expressing gratitude to Turkey for its medical aid to the U.K. where the calamity is ongoing. British Ambassador to Ankara Sir Dominick Chilcott posted a video message on Twitter on Saturday, thanking the country for its support.

Erdoğan's spokesman İbrahim Kalın was quick to point out that "Turkey is the first country in NATO to send help to Spain and Italy," adding that Israel has asked Turkey for assistance in the fight against the coronavirus. "We didn’t differentiate between countries or regions, and we won’t. This is independent from our political relations,” Kalın said, stressing that the COVID-19 pandemic is an emergency.

While U.S. President Donald Trump brags about blocking the sale and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks, gloves and ventilators to Venezuela and intensifying sanctions on Iran during the COVID-19 crisis, Turkey has recently approved the sale of medicine to Armenia and also will be sending medical equipment and medicines.

Despite the criticism both from within Turkey and some Western media outlets claiming that Turkey is using humanitarian aid as part of a soft power play to extend its international influence during the COVID-19 outbreak, this is actually a notable chance for Turkey for numerous reasons. Firstly, unlike Ankara's usual interventions, Turkey is now also helping developed countries – which are more used to helping than being helped. This is highly prestigious and a solidifying proof of Turkey’s strength and importance as an ally in NATO and a prospective EU nominee. The crisis generated by COVID-19 has also offered Turkey an opportunity to extend an olive branch to countries with which it has had frosty relations for many years. Besides, it is also an opportunity to combat Turkophobia, which is an immense challenge for Turkish foreign policy and Turks abroad.

*An Independent journalist and a lecturer

About the author
Independent journalist and lecturer at Leeds University
RECOMMENDED
A view of an Azerbaijani checkpoint at the only land link of Karabakh with Armenia, in Karabakh, Azerbaijan, May 2, 2023. (AFP Photo)

Azerbaijan can grant amnesty to Karabakh Armenians

azerbaijan-armenia-relations
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: May 14, 2020 1:43 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    turkophobia racism coronavirus covid-19 turkey humanitarian aid medical aid
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A woman checks currency rates on a digital currency rate board at an exchange office in Istanbul, Türkiye, May 22, 2023. (EPA Photo)

    Turkish lira down about 7% as markets weigh economic policy path

    Turkish-economy
    A view shows a flooded area after the Nova Kakhovka dam breached, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine, June 7, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

    Erdoğan offers dam crisis mediation in calls to Putin, Zelenskyy

    Kakhovka-dam

    World Bank, OECD up 2023 growth forecasts for Turkish economy

    Turkish-economy

    New discoveries help lift Türkiye's daily oil output to 32-year high

    energy-market
    1. Auckland, New Zealand
    These are 10 most livable cities in the world
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021