Despite the intimidation campaigns, Saudi tourists flock to Turkey

Mohammed Abdul Malik - Al Jazeera Net

Saudi media campaigns to boycott tourism in Turkey did not prevent Saudis from traveling to the country, unaware of reports of attacks and abuses against Saudi citizens in Turkey.

The latest manifestation of this campaign was quoted by Saudi newspapers as saying by Brigadier Ahmed bin Hassan al-Shehri, claiming that more than 1,000 Saudi citizens went to Turkey with their families and did not return home. A Saudi announcer claimed that 154 Saudi passports were stolen in Turkey within nine days.

Despite this, the Saudis ignored this propaganda and deafened them (M. Al-Mutairi), who chose Istanbul as a tourist destination for him and his family, considering his country's media campaign against Turkey "an attempt to bring politics into other affairs." Stressing his keenness to visit Turkey every year.

Asked about the level of security in Turkey, he said: "If I felt the opposite of what I came to Istanbul, Turkey has a different atmosphere during the seasons of the year and I hope that all the problems will end and the situation is correct.

The number of Saudi tourists who arrived in Turkey in January and February has increased significantly, reaching 44,592 visitors, according to figures published by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism on its official website.

The site also shows statistics for Saudi tourists to Turkey during the last quarter of last year 2018 more than 108 thousands and 233 tourists, the total number of Saudi tourists to Turkey during the same year 747 and 233 tourists, compared with 40 thousand and 280 Saudi tourists visited Turkey in January and February February 2017.

As for the demand for real estate, statistics from the Turkish Statistics Agency show that the Saudis come in third place among foreigners who bought real estate during the last year 2018. They bought two thousand and 718 properties, followed by Iraqis (8,000 and 205 properties) and Iranians (3,625 properties) ).

Target
Based on these data, the researcher in the Turkish economy Youssef Kataboglu that the boycott campaigns called by the Saudi media "a real targeting by the Saudi government for tourism in Turkey."

He added that the campaign "is not based on any evidence and nothing but nonsense and failed attempts to discredit the tourism sector of Turkey, which ranks eighth in the world, and therefore did not succeed in preventing the arrival of Saudi visitors Official reports also indicate that Saudi investors in Turkey are increasing , Which is disturbing the authorities of the Kingdom.

According to Otoglu, "the intentions against Turkey from Saudi Arabia and the UAE have escalated since the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in his consulate in Istanbul, and after their exposure was resorted to the revival of these scenarios and talk about the disappearance of hundreds of people without naming their names."

"Saudi Arabia is doing this with the aim of putting pressure on Turkey and its democracies after it has become a promising country in the region, but in the end there will be no value for such talk and people who are aware of the truth of lies and lies and know very well that Turkey is a safe country and welcomes all tourists. Specifically from the Arab and Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia. "