Thinking of Holidaying in TURKEY? Please think again!
Why you might consider visiting Turkey
Turkey is known for its inexpensive holiday packages and for pleasant weather, beaches, and historical sites dating back thousands of years.
Why you should avoid visiting Turkey
Turkey has become increasingly autocratic, with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan solidifying his grasp on power following a referendum of questionable legitimacy on presidential powers in 2017. Erdogan has purged the ranks of the country’s government, judiciary and military, and Turkey has become the number one imprisoner of journalists worldwide. Erdogan’s authoritarian regime instrumentalises Islam for its own power purposes and has put immense pressure on women and religious and ethnic minorities such as Alevis and Yezidis, and anti-Semitism and anti-Christian rhetoric are mainstream. Foreign visitors may not feel welcomed with open arms or at least will instantly see a change in attitude once they question the actions of Erdogan and Turkey – doing so can mean risking detention and deportation, or even jail time.
If you do not want to enjoy your vacation time alongside some of the world’s most notorious jihadist groups, you should avoid Turkey
Turkey is now a coordination centre for radical Islamic jihadist groups in the Middle East. For years, Turkey has acted as the main passageway for foreign fighters and supplies for the Islamic State (ISIS) and many other jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq. Turkey hosts various jihadist groups within its borders, and these groups maintain a presence in cities throughout Turkey. The Turkish military are openly and directly working alongside various jihadist groups in Syria to fight the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a key local ally of the Global Coalition Against ISIS.
Your tourist money will be used to fund efforts to terrorise the most dedicated adversaries of ISIS
Turkey has renewed its military and political campaign of denial and oppression against the Kurds. In addition to jailing thousands of Kurdish journalists, majors, party leaders, teachers, artists and women’s rights activists, Turkey has unleashed the full might of its military on Kurdish majority areas including Nusaybin, Cizre, and the historic Sur district of Diyarbakir, showing no regard for civilian life. According to the UN, it is possible that up to 1 million civilians were displaced in the state’s murderous war on the Kurds in Turkey.
In addition to targeting Kurds within Turkey, the Turkish army regularly attacks Kurdish areas in Iraq and Syria as well – aiming to destroy the very people who are the fiercest opponents of the ISIS, who have bravely resisted and defeated ISIS for years. The resistance of the Kurdish people has significantly weakened ISIS, which threatens the Middle East and Europe, much to the disappointment of Turkey.
War budget for 2018 increased by 41%
The AKP government approved a 41% increase in the defense budget over the period of just one year, setting the defense and security budget for 2018 at 92.7 billion Turkish Liras. This budget clearly represents the desire to perpetuate existing conflicts and initiate new ones over the next year
Erdogan needs more money for his war
It is obvious that the tourism revenue is needed as a main component of the funding for the increase of military and paramilitary (e.g. ISIS, al-Qaida, and other jihadist groups) budget. Tourism is one of the largest sources of income for Turkey, as Turkey currently ranks as the world’s number six tourist destination, attracting more than 30 million tourists annually. Turkey’s current tourism revenue was estimated at over $25 billion last year, and, per Erdogan’s plan, is forecast to increase to $86 billion. Money spent on holidays in Turkey will be put toward the defense budget, turned into missiles, tear gas, tanks, and snipers.
Your tourist money will not be used to build a better Turkey, it will be used to fund Turkey’s war machine and help Turkey’s jihadist allies – it will be used to fan the flames of war in the Middle East and make the refugee crisis even worse.
Turkey is aggressively waging a military campaign to destabilise Syria and strengthen jihadist groups whose aims are not limited to the Middle East. Turkey’s recent attacks and invasion against Afrin, canton of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, part of the sovereign state of Syria, are an aggression violating international law.
Your hard-earned money should not go to contribute Erdogan’s strategy of ethnic cleansing against children, women, men! Do not spend your holiday in Turkey!
International Solidarity Platform and Platform for Afrin