Unfortunately, xenophobia has been on the rise in Türkiye. This is not about patriotism in the sense of one’s unwavering commitment to our nation’s interests, independence and global impact. Instead, we are talking about an exclusionary attitude that manifests as verbal or physical violence – which one encounters frequently on social media. The current situation affects asylum-seekers as well as tourists and international students. It relates to the dissemination of anti-Arab messages that recently brought tears to the eyes of a Moroccan tourist. The rate at which the xenophobic discourse spreads rings alarm bells.

It is no secret that the opposition Good Party (IP), the Victory Party (ZP) and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) fueled xenophobia in Türkiye with reference to Syrian asylum-seekers and illegal migration ahead of the May 2023 elections. The opposition’s joint presidential candidate and CHP chair, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, built his campaign around anti-refugee sentiment – which effectively triggered the negative side effects of the cost of living. It seems highly likely that the CHP and the rest will resort to the same tactics for next year’s municipal elections.

Refusing to reflect on his latest election defeat, Kılıçdaroğlu made the following remarks in a recent chat with reporters: "Let me tell you who won the election. The Syrians won the election. Asylum-seekers won the election. We don’t even know their numbers. There are young folks with chic haircuts in Kilis. For God’s sake, they are not asylum-seekers. The Afghans, too – I know that the Afghans receive special training in Konya."

Having embraced the far-right discourse between the presidential election’s first and second rounds, the CHP chair was not just warning the Turkish people against "social explosion" and "security threats." Instead, he disseminates that populist and exclusionary message to attack the government. By translating the general population’s problems with asylum-seekers into xenophobia, the opposition aligns its rhetoric with the far-right ZP’s discourse.

Common stance needed

We must raise awareness about xenophobia without asking whether such an effort would help the government or the opposition. There is a need for a common stance among politicians and on the level of civil society. It goes without saying that xenophobia would inflict serious damage to Türkiye’s national security, internal peace, democracy, economy, tourism industry, foreign policy and international reputation. It threatens to undo the time and energy that the country put into humanitarian diplomacy, foreign aid and soft power.

Obviously, Türkiye attracts people across the region due to its geographical location, emergence as an energy and logistics hub, initiatives in the areas of trade, tourism and education, active foreign policy and ability to facilitate the peaceful coexistence of different lifestyles. That is why many people choose to transit through or live in Türkiye – whose attractiveness needs to be managed carefully.

Our country faces a multilayered issue today. There are steps we must take to curb the influx of asylum-seekers and illegal migration. There are also measures to be taken in regard to the repatriation of Syrian nationals and the deportation of illegal immigrants. Yet there are other issues, too: ensuring Turkish universities attract more international students, further expanding our nation’s tourism capacity, and attracting foreign investments. Specifically, we need to increase the number of international students (currently 300,000) and the country’s tourism revenue ($46 billion in 2022).

It is crucial to distinguish between internationalization, a byproduct of Türkiye’s rise and integration with the world, and illegal migration that stems from geography. To designate foreign investors, international students or tourists as "invaders" would severely hurt our country’s future. At the same time, we must remain vigilant about efforts by foreign intelligence services to prevent Türkiye’s emergence as a center of attention.