The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, headed by Minister Amichai Chikli and Director General Avi Cohen Scali, decided Wednesday to ban entry to Israel for Bilal Erdoğan, son of Turkey's president, along with 28 additional Turkish officials, Israel Hayom has learned.
Those whose entry was banned include religious figures, journalists, academics, content creators, opinion leaders, and senior officials in public bodies whose activities go beyond legitimate political expression and are characterized by systematic calls for boycotts, glorification of violence, justification of attacks on civilians, and dissemination of content with antisemitic characteristics.
According to information that reached the ministry, Bilal Erdoğan meets these definitions. Entry was also banned for Fehmi Bülent Yıldırım, who heads the IHH (a Turkish humanitarian group) and was responsible for the Mavi Marmara flotilla (the 2010 Gaza flotilla incident), among other things. The decision also banned entry for Dr. Ali Erbaş, the head of Turkey's Religious Affairs.
The decision was made after examining the background and activities of the Turkish organizations, following Amendment No. 40 and in accordance with an inter-ministerial agreement regarding the transfer of recommendations and information from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism. The ministry's position will be forwarded to the Population and Immigration Authority, which is effectively responsible for enforcing entry bans to Israel.
In a letter to Amnon Shmueli, Acting Director General of the Population and Immigration Authority, Director General Cohen Scali wrote that this is a "recommendation to prevent entry to Israel of Turkish officials involved in boycott activities and glorification of violence."
Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli, who sets policy regarding the entry of hostile elements to Israel, said that "Turkey is an enemy state. These days, we understand more than ever that Turkey is part of the axis of evil, and just as we act against terrorist organizations, so we will act against Turkey, which is revealing itself as an enemy state."
Avi Cohen Scali added that "these are senior officials from Turkey, including media figures and senior businesspeople who act consistently and publicly to promote boycotts, delegitimization and incitement against the State of Israel, inciting hatred and encouraging boycotts against the State of Israel."
The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism stated: "We view with severity any attempt at delegitimization and undermining of the resilience of the State of Israel. In light of this, we will continue to monitor and act decisively against elements that incite hatred and encourage boycotts against the State of Israel."
