Turkey moves to deport Syrian migrants for eating bananas in a 'provocative' way on TikTok
The Turkish government said this week that it has opened deportation proceedings against at least seven Syrian nationals accused of eating bananas in a “provocative” way while participating in a TikTok video challenge, in a move that underscores rising hostility toward Syrians in a country with a reputation for being welcoming to refugees.
The challenge was inspired by an Oct. 17 encounter on the streets of Istanbul that was captured on video, during which a man complained that he could not afford bananas, a staple that has fallen out of the reach of many consumers amid a poor economy. Turning to a female Syrian student, he alleged that refugees from Syria were buying the fruit by the “kilo,” a reference to false rumors that displaced people were living in luxury off Turkish taxpayer largesse.
In response, Syrians in Turkey and elsewhere posted videos of themselves eating bananas to poke fun at the incident. In one video, a group of young Syrians sat around a room, chuckling as they ate their fruit.
On Thursday, local media reported that immigration authorities in Istanbul had detained 11 Syrians involved with the videos on charges of “inciting or humiliating the [Turkish] people with hatred and hostility,” in an action that an Amnesty International coordinator called “appalling.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/turkey-moves-to-deport-syrian-migrants-for-eating-bananas-in-a-provocative-way-on-tiktok/ar-AAQ7CI1
