Facing deportation over news on ‘banana-eating videos’, journalist Shamaa released

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Taken into custody and sent to a removal center, journalist Majed Shamaa from Syria has been released.

After a citizen targeted Syrians in a street interview in İstanbul by saying, "I cannot eat bananas, they buy kilos of bananas," several people from Syria posted videos of themselves while eating bananas in protest. Majed Shamaa reported on these videos in a humorous tone.

Shamaa was detained and sent to a removal center in Turkey's southeastern province of Antep over this news report.

Mehmet Ali Hartavi, the lawyer of journalist Majed Shamaa, has announced that his client has been released and will return to İstanbul today (November 9). Hartavi has indicated that Shamaa did not intend to mock anyone and "wanted to tackle Syrians' problems in a humorous way."

What happened?

Turkey's migration authority, the General Directorate of Migration Management, announced that seven refugees had been detained for "provocative social media posts" and would soon be deported.

During a street interview in İstanbul, a man claimed that refugees are financially more comfortable than locals and said, "I can't [afford] bananas. They buy kilos of them." There was also a refugee woman among the interviewed, who said, "I'm a Syrian, too. I'm a student here. If there wasn't a war in Syria, we wouldn't have to come here. There is nothing we can do."

After this video went viral, several refugees shared videos while eating bananas. The police started working to identify everyone who shared such videos on social media, the Directorate said. It did not provide further reason for the deportation of the refugees.

Shortly afterwards, it was announced that eight more people had been taken into custody in İzmir over the 'banana-eating videos'.

Majed Shamaa from Orient News, a Syrian TV channel, criticized these videos in a humorous tone. After this news was reported, İlay Aksoy, a founding member of the opposition İYİ Party, accused him on social media and said, "All activities of Orient News, which is responsible for this scandal, must be stopped immediately." Aksoy also alleged that "Orient News, located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is manipulated by the UAE."

Following this social media post, Shamaa was taken into custody on October 30 on the grounds that he allegedly "provoked the public to hatred and hostility against Turks". He was sent to a removal center after his detention and made to sign papers that said he accepted leaving Turkey.

In August 2019, the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) verbally warned Turkey in the face of its plans to deport the Syrian refugee journalists from Turkey on the grounds that they had not not arrange their status within the indicated time period. The authorities in Turkey finally took a step back about the issue and allowed the journalists to stay in the country.

In the 2021 World Press Freedom Index of the RSF, Turkey ranks 153rd out of 180 countries while Syria ranks 173rd. (HA/SD)