* Çavuşoğlu's visit to Beirut. Photo: AA
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Having visited Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, following the explosion last week, Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said, "We will give citizenship of the Republic of Turkey to our kin who say 'I am a Turk, I am a Turkmen'. It is the instruction of our President to us."
In response to these statements, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Garo Paylan has said, "All identities existing in Turkey live in Beirut. In spite of this, Minister of Foreign Affairs made a racist statement, which has caused a serious public backlash both in Turkey and Lebanon."
Referring to the word of "kin" (soydaş) which can also be translated as "of the same race/kind," he has said, "We ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Is Turkey the republic of those who are of Turkish descent?"
'Your racist, sectarian foreign policy...'
Accordingly, Paylan has asked Minister Çavuşoğlu:
- "Didn't you feel ashamed for doing racism in multi-identity Beirut?
- "Are you aware that you racist and sectarian foreign policy looked tragicomic in multi-identity Beirut?
- "Is Turkey the republic of Turkish descent?"
(PT/SD)
