Turkey angry over Trump’s 'Muslim ban'
Could the new US president’s executive order barring the citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States further undermine relations between Ankara and Washington?
The Turkish press reacted harshly to US President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order halting the entry of Syrian refugees to the United States and temporarily barring entry to the citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Although federal courts ordered a stay on certain parts of the executive order, opponents of the US administration called the new policy a “Muslim ban,” an accusation Trump denies.
The Turks are not impressed. Turkey’s pro-government daily Yeni Safak ran on its Jan. 30 front page a damning headline: “Trump’s racist wall.” Yeni Safak’s story read, “The world met Trump-style racism. After barring entry to the citizens of [seven Muslim countries], thousands of people in Europe, Turkey and Arab countries could not board their flights. The world is reacting harshly to the unthinkable event.”
