World boycotts Turkey after Hagia Sophia crisis

Immense public and international outrage has occurred after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the decree to turn Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia into a mosque, as many consider this action a violation of freedom and rights of religions.

Tourism boycott

In this context, a large number of tourists, especially from Gulf states, have confirmed changing their tourist destinations to Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and countries in East Asia after Turkey had previously been one of their favorite destinations.

The boycott of tourism at this time poses great risks to Turkey’s economy, which had already been suffering from a significant downturn, Turkish opposition newspaper T24 reported.

Erdogan’s policies have destroyed Turkish tourism, causing losses for a large number of young people and merchants who were working in the tourism field. The calls for a boycott due to the conversion of the Hagia Sophia to a mosque will only make matters worse.

Turkish tourism is suffering from a significant deterioration due to Erdogan's policies, T24 said, pointing out that the number of tourists passing through the tourist markets decreased from 400,000 a year to 250,000. Tourists had been spending nearly $2,500 before, but now purchases barely exceed just $200.

Erdogan's disastrous policies

Economic expert Mohamed Abdel Alim told the Reference that Erdogan's policies are the reason for the economic deterioration harming the Turkish people’s livelihoods, adding that the Hagia Sophia crisis will likely be the final blow to the Turkish economy.

Abdel Alim confirmed that a large number of tourists from around the world, especially Western countries, will not travel to Turkey again, as a decision such as converting the Hagia Sophia to a mosque after it was a church would make a large sector of Westerners afraid to visit the country.

The decline in tourism will naturally lead to a decline in the economy and consequently will result in a significant increase in the unemployment rate, in addition to a decrease in the percentage of sales, as Turkey was heavily dependent on tourists visiting commercial markets, Abdel Alim said. He added that this will also contribute to a further decline in the value of the Turkish lira, which is already low.