Anti-American sentiment is widespread in Turkey. Anti-American opinions first occurred in Turkey following the American embargo on Turkey following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and United States Sixth Fleet's visit of Istanbul, esspecially among the leftist communities in country and anti-American prorests were in 1960s and 70s. A major wave of anti-Americanism among both leftist and rightist communities occurred with the 2003 American invasion of Iraq and Hood event on 4 July 2003, in which a group of Turkish military personnel operating in northern Iraq were kidnapped, led away with hoods over their heads, and interrogated by the United States military. After the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, Fethullah Gülen's self-exile in the United States and American government's refusal to return him to Turkey caused a further increase in anti-American sentiment in Turkey. A 2017 Pew Research poll indicated that 67% of Turkish respondents held unfavorable views of Americans and 82% disapproved of the spread of American ideas and customs in their country; both percentages were the highest out of all the nations surveyed.[1]

History edit

A coup d'état in 1960 had allowed a group of Turkish military officers to take control of the country.[2] Under this established government, labor tensions grew and anti-American sentiment rose. Elements of the Turkish left and labour movement were protesting against what they regarded as US imperialism.[3]

In June 1967, during the United States Sixth Fleet's visit in Istanbul, mass anti-American protests started in the city, esspecially in Beyoğlu district. American soldiers were attacked, the scale of attacks varied from stealing caps of soldiers, throwing red paint on soldiers and razoring uniforms of soldiers to beatings and throwing the soldiers at sea. Protests and assaults on American soldiers continued until 1969.

References edit

  1. ^ "The tarnished American brand". Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center. 2017-06-26. p. 2. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  2. ^ Karasapan, Omer. Turkey and US Strategy in the Age of Glasnost. Middle East Report, No. 160, Turkey in the Age of Glasnost (Sep. - Oct., 1989), p. 6
  3. ^ Amineh, Mehdi Parvizi; Houweling, Henk (June 2007). "Global Energy Security and Its Geopolitical Impediments: The Case of the Caspian Region". Perspectives on Global Development and Technology. 6: 365–388. doi:10.1163/156914907X207793.

Either Taksim or death (Turkish: Ya Taksim, Ya Ölüm) refers to series of rallies and demonstrations in late 1950s for the Turkish annexation of island of Cyprus against the Enosis.