Turks can't afford bananas Syrian refugees provoked and sent videos of bananas being deported

According to foreign media reports, the Turkish government recently said that it has arrested at least seven Syrian migrants and launched deportation procedures against them. Because they were accused of participating in the TikTok (overseas version of TikTok) challenge, eating bananas in a provocative way, a move that was considered hatred and humiliation for the Turks.

For now, Syrians across the globe are participating in the challenge, but the move is seen as inciting hatred and insulting the Turkish people.

The challenge was inspired by a video of an anti-immigrant Turkish man complaining that he couldn't afford a banana, which was very popular on TikTok.

In the video, the man claims that he can no longer afford to buy bananas, but Syrian refugees can achieve banana freedom. In addition, the Turkish man in the video also said that in the case of turkey's economic collapse, Syrian refugees are living a luxurious life on taxpayers' money.

In fact, research by the Center for Economic Policy Studies shows that 45% of Syrian refugees in Turkey live in poverty and 14% live in extreme poverty.

In response, Syrians from around the globe began sharing videos of them eating bananas on TikTok in response to the Turkish man, thus forming TikTok's challenge.

An initial video of the response shows a group of Syrian migrants gathering happily eating bananas and giggling from time to time.

A flaunting response challenge that has unleashed a wave of accusations against Syrians in Turkey is somewhat inconceivable to most people. But it's not actually completely untraceable.

In recent years, as Turkey's economic situation has continued to deteriorate, high unemployment and inflation in the country have made it difficult for many Turks to cope with their own lives. Under enormous existential pressures, Turkey's anti-immigrant sentiment is so severe that they blame Syrian refugees for the economic collapse and see them as scapegoats.

A 2019 study found that 72 percent of Turks believe That Syrian refugees have damaged Turkey's socio-cultural fabric, and 74 percent believe that public services will deteriorate or diminish as a result of refugees.

According to the World Bank, Turkey has the largest number of refugees in the world – hosting 4 million refugees, including Syrians, who make up the vast majority of refugees, at 3.6 million.

The Syrian TikTok challenge can be said to have hit the muzzle of turkic anti-immigrant sentiment.

The Directorate General for Migration Administration now says it is working to expose all provocative posts and to enforce the necessary judicial and administrative procedures for all individuals who post them.

Wuhan Morning Post intern reporter Zhang Jiao

Source: Wuhan Morning Post