Wednesday April 17, 2024
Istanbul (HOL) — A court in Ankara has declared that Turkish police actions against Mohamed Isa Abdullah, the owner of the Saab Cafe in Ankara's Kızılay district, were racially motivated. The decision sheds light on broader issues of racial discrimination against immigrant entrepreneurs in Turkey's capital amidst a climate of rising anti-migrant sentiment.
Abdullah, a Somali national, has faced relentless harassment from local law enforcement since 2021, culminating in frequent raids and the eventual closure of his restaurant. The situation escalated in June 2022 when police intervened during the opening celebrations of the Saab Cafe, covering the restaurant's signage under the pretext that its colours were associated with Kurdish militants—a claim widely regarded as spurious and discriminatory.
The court's ruling was heavily influenced by video evidence presented by Abdullah, capturing officers making racially charged comments, which played a crucial role in establishing the racial undertones of the police's behaviour. "The Turkish police discriminated against us because we are Somali, and a court ruling has now confirmed this," Abdullah remarked. Following these events and the subsequent revocation of his residence permit, Abdullah returned to Somalia.
The harassment against Abdullah is part of a broader trend of discrimination that Somali business owners in Ankara have experienced. According to reports, Somali-run businesses have been disproportionately targeted with unprovoked raids and ID checks aimed at intimidating owners and customers alike. This pattern of discrimination extends beyond Abdullah, affecting numerous African entrepreneurs in the region and contributing to a hostile business environment.
Abdullah's case has garnered attention and support from human rights groups and politicians, including Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a prominent rights advocate and lawmaker. Gergerlioğlu has highlighted the systemic nature of the issue, arguing that these incidents reflect a broader, pervasive problem of racial bias within Turkish law enforcement.
The ruling marks a significant moment of accountability in a broader context of rising xenophobia in urban Turkey and the attitudes of Turkish authorities towards its increasingly diverse population.