Samar Al-Mogrin
THE terrifying ordeal of six young Saudis at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen International Airport and the 10-hour-long harassment they faced at the hands of Turkish security officers were a humiliation not only for the six individuals but also for all Saudis.
Local newspapers published detailed reports of the mistreatment received by the six men at the Turkish airport, an incident that deeply hurt all Saudi men and women. By this irresponsible action, the Turkish authorities targeted not only the six Saudi men but all of us.
I am surprised at the huge numbers of Gulf tourists who visit Turkey every year for spending their vacation or for treatment, especially for hair loss despite the low quality tourism and treatment offered by the country and the despicable behavior of Turks toward Arabs.
There are historical reasons for the Turks to consider Arabs as inferior to them. We see Arabs being mistreated even by Turkish taxi drivers and restaurant workers. Turkish traders consider Arab tourists as machines to mint money and raise prices immediately.
I have visited Turkey and witnessed the lack of cleanliness at Turkish restaurants.
The bad body odor that comes out of restaurant workers is sickening and people will not be able to enjoy the meals, no matter how delicious they are.
I have also noticed that Turkish taxi drivers do not respect tourists and are reluctant to operate meters as they want to exploit them by charging high fares. This again reflects their superiority complex. If they had some respect for the Arabs they would not have treated us like this.
Many people who have gone to Turkey for hair transplant treatment with the desire of having beautiful looks at low costs now think their baldness was better than the treatment.
I have noticed that those who had undergone hair loss treatment enjoyed it only for the first two years and then lamented the bad condition of their hair.
A specialist Saudi doctor has told me that hundreds of Saudis who had undergone hair loss treatment in Turkey have approached clinics in Saudi Arabia to improve the condition of their hair.
Tourism requires good planning. Haphazard travel arrangements create a lot of problems for Gulf families. The travelers must make advanced planning with regard to the destinations and the places they wish to see. They should select countries and places that offer them quality services.
