Hate speech towards international students in Turkey

In the history and civilization, Istanbul is known as the hub of knowledge, science and research, and international students are coming from all over the world. This tradition was interrupted at the end of the Ottoman Empire; however, it has been revived in recent years to fulfil the mission and vision of the Republic of Turkey and to expand its role in the international arena by implementing various methods. In the name cultural exchange, Turkey launches the short-term educational courses, the exchange programs, state and private scholarship programs and tuition bearing education. To facilitate the registration in Turkish universities, the government has established the exam centres across the world. As a result, Turkey is, now, world-wide accepted as a centre of education for international students. A number of institutions, such as Ytb, Udef, İhh, İlim Yayma Vakfı and Türgev, etc., are working in Turkey to support and host international students. Upholding the principle of Ummah, the aforesaid institutions entitle the foreign students as a "guest student". In spite of the friendly environment, sometimes the students encounter the haters, even though who are few in number. In comparison, populism, far-right nationalism, racism, and hate speech are emerging far more in the western countries than in Turkey. Nevertheless, the proportion of hate speech against foreigners in Turkey can not be overlooked. In this context, international students also encounter hate speech. This study focuses 165 international students who are pursuing their higher education and living in Turkey for at least 3 years. It finds how the populism and, particularly, hate speech and crime affect the perception of international students. Finally, this research will evaluate and analyse the extent of the problems, recommend possible solutions to address this issue.