Turkish expert: Europe’s Islamophobia fight lacks political will

Efforts to combat Islamophobia across Europe remain fundamentally hampered by a lack of political acknowledgment, according to a leading Turkish academic speaking at a panel on the margins of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Enes Bayraklı, a political science professor at Istanbul’s Turkish-German University, told an audience convened by COJEP International that the issue is not merely social but deeply political, driven by elite reluctance rather than societal hostility.

A refusal to name the problem

Bayraklı noted that many European leaders deliberately avoid using the term “Islamophobia,” preferring diluted phrases such as “anti-Muslim hate.” He argued that such linguistic avoidance obscures the true nature of the discrimination. “What we are facing is anti-Muslim racism,” he said, emphasizing that without proper naming, effective solutions remain out of reach. Genuine progress, he added, requires political recognition as a precondition for meaningful policy action.

Insufficient European measures

While acknowledging some symbolic steps—including the UN’s designation of March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia—Bayraklı described European initiatives as insufficient. He pointed to the appointment of coordinators at both the EU and Council of Europe levels, but noted their impact has remained limited. More troubling, he said, is the absence of systematic data collection. Citing a 2016 study, he revealed that only 12 percent of Muslims report Islamophobic incidents to authorities, often due to lack of awareness or fear of secondary victimization.

Türkiye’s leading role

As a nation that has consistently championed the fight against Islamophobia on the international stage, Türkiye continues to advocate for concrete action from European governments. Ankara has long called for the adoption of a comprehensive definition of Islamophobia and for the establishment of robust monitoring mechanisms to protect Muslim communities. Bayraklı’s warnings echo Türkiye’s longstanding position: without political will and formal recognition, no national action plan or policy response can truly address the deepening crisis of anti-Muslim sentiment in Europe.