Turkey has warned its citizens living in or traveling to the United States to avoid “social tensions” in major American cities, such as angry protests against Donald Trump’s presidential election victory.
The Ankara government on Saturday also advised caution for any visitors who might encounter “racist” outbursts, which many Americans see as the action of extremists possibly emboldened by Donald Trump’s comments critical of immigrants.
Turkey did not specifically cite postelection political turmoil in the United States in connection with either of its warnings.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement urged Turks “to be vigilant due to the risks linked to current events and social tensions.”
Turkey, which itself has been the subject of frequent travel warnings by Western governments in recent months, also noted “the increase, over the last few days, of verbal and physical aggression of a xenophobic or racist nature across the U.S.”
Turkish tourists and those who reside in the U.S. were told to watch for possible future advisories on the website of the Turkish Embassy in Washington.
The Ankara government regularly condemns violence or threats of violence against Muslims in the United States and Europe, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sounded a warning Saturday about intolerance, which he said “is spreading like the plague in some European countries.”
