Tolga Inanc: Time to trim Turkish barber shops out of the language of negative politics

Tolga Inanc is Co-Chair of the Conservative Friends of Turkey.

We live in strange times where Turkish barbers are now part of the political debate. Whether it’s Nigel Farage expressing surprise that dodgy barbershops linked to money laundering are “not even Turkish!”, or Robert Jenrick adding “weird Turkish barber shops” to his list of things that get on everybody’s nerves.

Aside from the obvious question of why nationality has to come into legitimate concerns, sticking the word “Turkish” in front of a proliferation of barbershops shows that there’s a perception issue – and one that needs to be addressed.

To be clear, this isn’t about accusing anyone of attacking or deliberately targeting Turks. Most people understand the point being made about criminality and the state of our high streets. But words matter. When “Turkish” becomes shorthand in a negative context – even unintentionally – it reinforces stereotypes and obscures a much bigger picture.

The half-a-million strong Turkish and Turkish Cypriot communities in the UK are home to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses across every sector: from hospitality to logistics, construction to tech, manufacturing to finance. My parents started working in textiles, then my father became a lorry driver and my mother worked at the local Tesco. I work in the professional services. Turks in the UK are hard-working people who contribute enormously to local economies, create jobs, and play a vital role in our high streets. And yes, some of them run barbershops.

Reducing this community to a single stereotype – casually or inadvertently – risks alienating people who should naturally feel at home with mainstream political parties, particularly the Conservatives. Many in the Turkish community share the Party’s values: enterprise, aspiration, personal responsibility, pride in Britain, and a belief in smart, fair migration policy. The overwhelming majority are first or second-generation Brits who just want to build a better future for themselves and their families.

Yet too often, they feel that Labour is their only political home – not because Labour particularly champions their interests, but because we have not done enough to tap into this electoral base. And when political language carelessly singles out a community, it makes it harder for us to cut through: to build bridges, challenge misperceptions, and promote the Party’s message to the Turkish community.

And that would be a real missed opportunity – especially when the message to businesses is so strong: it is business that builds Britain, and the Conservative Party backs the makers.

Reform may continue with careless, dog-whistle language – I know our community does not buy into it. When they hear from us, they should be hearing about our plans to back the makers, for example, by introducing a permanent 100 per cent relief in business rates for retail, leisure, and hospitality.

We absolutely should talk about how to protect our high streets from criminality. But nationality has nothing to do with it – so let’s stop mentioning it. Let’s instead be thoughtful about the language we use, recognise the diversity within our communities, and celebrate the positive role they play in Britain.