Syrians to be deported for eating bananas 'provocatively' in Turkey
As tensions soar between Turks and their country's 4 million refugees, a viral trend of young Syrians posting videos of themselves eating bananas has ended in some set to be deported.
Turkey said that it was deporting at least seven Syrians for participating in a “provocative banana-eating campaign” after a wave of TikTok videos showing young Syrians munching the fruit as a way of mocking anti-refugee sentiment in Turkey and the battered Turkish economy.
The images and videos — posted by Syrians not only in Turkey but also in other countries — came after a Turkish man complained before cameras that he could no longer afford bananas, whereas the Syrians could buy loads. Bananas, which cost $1-2 per kilogram in Turkey, are traditionally seen as a symbol of a lavish lifestyle.
Türkiye'de yaşayan Suriye'liler sosyal medyada muz yeme akımı başlattı pic.twitter.com/3xUvPSFvFm
— Politic Türk (@politicturk) October 25, 2021
While some Turks reacted to the Syrian videos that have gone viral over the last 10 days, the deportation announcement from Turkey’s Directorate General of Migration Management came as a surprise — and brought questions about whether the deportations, which have not yet taken place, would be legal.
