Anti-Turkish sentiment
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. |
Anti-Turkism (Turkish: Turk Dusmanligi) is hostility toward the Turkish people, Turkish culture and the Republic of Turkey.
General Information
When compared with apparently similar phenomena, it turns out to be, at least in its recent form, more of a deliberate misconstruction than an actual hate. However, some hold that the negative Turkish imagery which has been brought forth by legislators in various European parliaments during the European Union accession process, is evidence of Anti-Turkism.
Anti-Turkism apparently lacks a racial and cultural basis, and appears to be mostly based on geopolitics and religion in addition to diplomatic and strategic interests involving the modern state of Turkey. The Cyprus Dispute and the Bosnian War are two examples of possible Anti-Turkism. These facts themselves don't necessarily imply a direct hate towards Turks as a nation, but reflect the various diplomatic tensions of the moment.
Detractors
Anti-Turkism's detractors (most of them Turks) claim on the other hand that Anti-Turkism is merely a handy excuse which has been used to label and demonize all actual or imaginary enemies of the Turkish nation and that Anti-Turkism has been used excessively to justify personal and national failures. They believe that the Turkish state and the Turkish people are no worse than any other democratic country and citizens. The detractors also feel that some facts are exaggerated by the mass media and by some politicians for their own purposes.
What is Anti-Turkish?
Although there is no clear definition of what makes something or someone "Anti-Turkish", there are possible clues:
- Territorial claims and disputes connected with the modern state of Turkey: This is perhaps the most realistic of all fears, since there are actually middle eastern extremist groups (such as the PKK) which claim part or all of Turkey's land and sea.
- Publications and articles which criticize Turkey and Turkish people to various extents. These include:
- Traveller guides, especially if they conjure the existence of terrorism or contain too many negative warnings and stereotypes.
- Newspaper articles, if making undocumented connections between international terrorism and the Cyprus dispute or the PKK.