Muslims fleeing Islamophobia in France settling in Turkey: Report

Turkey has become an attractive destination for Muslims fleeing France due to Islamophobia, according to a report by French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche on Wednesday.

It said that many qualified young French of North African origin are also settled in Gulf countries, but the modern yet traditional Turkey has now become an increasingly popular migration destination for them.

Thirty-two-year-old Thibault, a baker from Isere, France, first moved to Bosnia and Herzegovina and later Norway. He eventually settled in Istanbul, Turkey with his wife and two children more than a year ago.

The couple first thought about moving to Egypt or Morocco, but preferred Turkey as its diverse culture is more closer to their lifestyle.

Fosil Mahani, a YouTube influencer who settled in the Turkish Mediterranean province of Antalya in 2019, said Turkey's blend of European and Middle Eastern culture appealed him.

Muslim convert David Bizet, who founded Facebook group, Immigration to Turkey, is also living in Turkey since 2019. He is originally from Dijon in eastern France.

The report quoted a recent post by Bizet, which read: "Hardly a week passes by without messages from the French who have settled in Turkey or want to settle down."

French authorities have been accused of cornering its Muslim community, and in recent years many mosques and civil society organizations are said to have closed down.

French President Emmanuel Macron has described Islam as a "religion in crisis" and also introduced a set of principles that would define an Islam of France.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan