In the wake of protests sparked by Donald Trump’s presidential election victory last week, the Turkish government has issued a travel warning to its citizens residing in or visiting the United States. Turkish travelers have also been urged to take extra care in light of increasing acts of racist violence and harassment across the country, according to a statement released by the Turkish foreign ministry on Saturday, CNN reports.
The demonstrations—taking place in major U.S. cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles—have now reached their sixth day; and while for the most part the protests have been peaceful, one march in Portland, Oregon was described by authorities as turning into a “riot” after clashes with police. In light of this, the advisory warns that protests have "occasionally featured acts of crime and violence," adding that demonstrators have also been detained by security forces at times.
The statement goes on to advise travelers to follow local media and warnings issued by the Turkish embassy in Washington (as well as by American security forces), "to stay away from protests," and in the case of a "racist or xenophobic attack" to keep calm.
This isn’t the first time in recent months that a country has told its citizens to exercise caution when visiting the U.S.: Back in June, the Bahamas, Bahrain, and U.A.E all issued warnings, citing several incidents including the mass shooting in Orlando and the deaths of two young black men in Louisiana and Minnesota at the hands of police officers. Meanwhile in October, the U.S. Consulate General Istanbul issued a security message to U.S. citizens similar to the one now issued by the Turkish government, warning against potential terrorist attacks and kidnappings, while a general warning issued by the U.S. Department of State asks Americans to avoid traveling to southeast Turkey altogether.
It’s unclear how long it will be until the Turkish government lifts the travel warning, if at all, but, as quoted in the New York Times, the statement notes that "based on demonstrators' social media posts, it's clear the demonstrations will likely continue for some time."
