Turkey Urges Trump to Scrap 'Offensive' Refugee Policy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – US President Donald Trump's immigration and refugee restrictions are "offensive", a top Turkish official was quoted as saying on Tuesday, in the first explicit criticism by Ankara of the controversial policy.
Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus called on Trump to reconsider the decision, which he said was motivated by Islamophobia, AFP reported.
"It is not possible to accept this," said Kurtulmus, who is also the chief government spokesman. "The policy should be reviewed."
On Friday, Trump issued an executive order that bars US entry for travelers from seven mainly Muslim countries -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen -- for 90 days.
Trump defended the new policy, introduced just a week after he became president and which stirred up fresh protests this week, by saying that it would make the United States safe.
Kurtulmus blamed rising Islamophobia, anti-immigrant feelings and xenophobia in the West for the decision, calling on the new administration to "correct" the policy.
"It is extremely offensive that such a decision was made in a country like the United States which is known as a nation with all different religions and ethnic groups in a melting pot," he said.
"It is not correct. It is really a decision that triggers discrimination... None of the countries' citizens can be categorically branded as bad."