Turkish-US commentators banned from entering UK over Israel remarks

WASHINGTON

Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur.(Getty Images)

Turkish origin U.S. political commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker have said they were denied entry to the U.K. with British authorities reportedly linking the decision to their public remarks on Israel.

Uygur, cofounder of the U.S.-based online political commentary network The Young Turks, said he discovered the travel restriction while attempting to board a flight to London, where he was due to speak at the SXSW London festival and Oxford University.

In a series of posts on X, he said UK officials had described him as “a serious risk.”

“The British government is saying they’re banning me because I am ‘a serious risk to the public order’ due to my criticism of Israel,” he wrote.

“They say that my charge that Israel controls the American government through donations to 94 percent of Congress, while factual, is antisemitic nonetheless,” he said.

“I didn’t get banned for criticizing the U.K., but for criticizing Israel. They broke the irony record by saying it was because I said Israel might control other governments. I wonder if they’re going to ban themselves,” he said.

Piker also said the decision was connected to his criticism of Israel.

“It’s a sad state of affairs where obviously the interests of Israel take highest priority,” he said on a livestream.

“Israel advocacy organizations have unbelievable amounts of power over what even the United Kingdom has to say and do; if you are an avowed anti-Zionist, your travel will be restricted,” he said.

Last week, the Labour MP David Taylor called for Piker to be prevented from speaking, saying his presence in the U.K. was “not conducive to the public good.”