Turkey slams West for security warnings ‘harming’ tourism

Feb 2, 2023, 2:56 AM | Updated: 11:00 am

FILE - A view of the German consulate in Istanbul, on June 2, 2016. Turkey has slammed a group of W...

FILE - A view of the German consulate in Istanbul, on June 2, 2016. Turkey has slammed a group of Western countries which temporarily closed down their consulates in Istanbul over security concerns. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, accused the countries waging a “psychological warfare” and attempting to wreck Turkey’s tourism. Germany, the Netherlands and Britain were among countries that shut down their consulates in the city of some 16 million this week. (AP/Emrah Gurel)

(AP/Emrah Gurel)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey on Thursday slammed a group of Western countries that temporarily closed down their consulates in Istanbul over security concerns, accusing them of waging “psychological warfare” and attempting to wreck Turkey’s tourism industry.

Germany, the Netherlands and Britain were among countries that shut down their consulates in the city of around 16 million people this week. The German Embassy cited the risk of possible retaliatory attacks following Quran-burning incidents in some European countries. The United States and other countries issued travel warnings urging citizens to exercise vigilance.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the consulate closures and travel warnings were part of an alleged Western plot to prevent a rebound in Turkey’s tourism sector following the coronavirus pandemic.

“On a day when we declared our aim of (attracting) 60 million tourists, at a time when 51.5 million tourists arrived and we obtained $46 billion in tourism revenue, they were on the verge of starting a new psychological warfare (against) Turkey,” said Soylu, who is known for his anti-Western rhetoric.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of nine countries — the United States, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Britain, Germany, Belgium, France and Italy — and formally protested the security warnings and consulate closures, officials said.

The envoys were told that Turkey provides security to all diplomatic missions “on the basis of international conventions” and that their actions served what the ministry said was “terrorist organizations’ sneaky agendas.”

The interior minister said Turkey had conducted as many as 60 operations against the Islamic State group so far this year and detained 95 people. Last year, close to 2,000 IS suspects were detained in more than 1,000 operations against the group, he said.

Earlier this week, the Interior Ministry said Turkish authorities had detained a number of suspects following a warning from a “friendly country” but hadn’t found any weapons, ammunition or sign of a planned act of violence.

In November, a bombing on Istanbul’s bustling Istiklal Avenue, located in the heart of the city and near a number of foreign consulates, killed six people and wounded several others. Turkish authorities blamed the attack on Kurdish militants.

Last weekend, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning for European countries due to anti-Turkish demonstrations and what it described as Islamophobia. The warning followed demonstrations the week before outside the Turkish Embassy in Sweden, where an anti-Islam activist burned the Quran and pro-Kurdish groups protested against Turkey.

In a related development, Norway revoked a group’s permission to stage a protest in Oslo on Friday that would have involved an attack on the Quran, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters. Police in Oslo confirmed that the protest was canceled on grounds that security could not be ensured “in a satisfactory manner” at the event.

Earlier, Turkey summoned Norway’s ambassador and told the envoy that the planned action would constitute a “hate crime” that should not be allowed.

A group called Stop Islamization of Norway had planned to burn the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy. The group’s leader, Lars Thorsen, told VG newspaper that he planned to carry out his protest “in the context of Turkey’s intolerance of Western values of freedom.”

Recent demonstrations in Europe where activists desecrated Islam’s holy book have infuriated Muslims in Turkey and elsewhere.

Jewish organizations in Denmark, Sweden and Norway issued a statement expressing concern about what they called the manifestation of “Islamophobic hate” in the Nordic region.

“Once again, racists and extremists are allowed to abuse democracy and freedom of speech in order to normalize hate against one of the religious minorities by burning the Quran,” they said.

___

Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed reporting.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

FILE - The logo of the Organization of the Petroleoum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is seen outside of...

Associated Press

Saudi Arabia reducing global oil supply, could spell higher prices for US drivers

Saudi Arabia will reduce how much oil it sends to the global economy, taking a unilateral step to prop up the sagging price of crude.

2 days ago

This photo provided by Robert Wilkes, owner of a house boat management company, shows smoke rising ...

Associated Press

Houseboats catch fire while docked at Wahweap Marina on Lake Powell

More than half a dozen house boats momentarily caught fire at a popular boating destination on the Utah-Arizona line on Friday.

4 days ago

File - Women work in a restaurant kitchen in Chicago, Thursday, March 23, 2023. On Friday, the U.S....

Associated Press

US hiring, unemployment jump in May and what that says about the economy

The nation’s employers stepped up their hiring in May, adding a robust 339,000 jobs, well above expectations.

4 days ago

(Pixabay Photo)...

Associated Press

Oath Keeper from Arizona sentenced for role in Jan. 6 riot at US Capitol

Edward Vallejo, a U.S. Army veteran from Phoenix, oversaw a “Quick Reaction Force” at a Virginia hotel that was prepared to deploy an arsenal of weapons into Washington if needed, authorities say.

5 days ago

FILE - U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz listens during a news conference, Jan. 5, 2023, in Washi...

Associated Press

US Border Patrol chief is retiring after seeing through end of Title 42 immigration restrictions

The head of the U.S. Border Patrol announced Tuesday that he was retiring, after seeing through a major policy shift that seeks to clamp down on illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border following the end of Title 42 pandemic restrictions.

6 days ago

FILE - President Joe Biden talks with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., on the House steps as...

Associated Press

House OKs debt ceiling bill to avoid default, sends Biden-McCarthy deal to Senate

The House approved a debt ceiling and budget cuts package late Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.

6 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

5 mental health myths you didn’t know were made up

Helping individuals understand mental health diagnoses like obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder or generalized anxiety disorder isn’t always an easy undertaking. After all, our society tends to spread misconceptions about mental health like wildfire. This is why being mindful about how we talk about mental health is so important. We can either perpetuate misinformation about already […]

...

SANDERSON FORD

Thank you to Al McCoy for 51 years as voice of the Phoenix Suns

Sanderson Ford wants to share its thanks to Al McCoy for the impact he made in the Valley for more than a half-decade.

(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...

Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.

Turkey slams West for security warnings ‘harming’ tourism