African-Turks report repeated instances of people showing disbelief upon hearing their fluent Turkish. They are considered to be foreigners (as Turks are considered to be white). Also, a mix of “positive” (exotic interest) and “negative” (harassment on the street) treatments are reported. In this sense, the experiences of African immigrants and African-Turks are not qualitatively different. The difficulty African-Turks face in convincing others of their Turkishness is a testament to the fact that the assumptions of Turkish whiteness go beyond linguistic and religious considerations. Even the fact that they are native speakers of Turkish can lead to microaggressions, because African-Turks reported to regularly hear: “Where did you learn Turkish?” The same respondent also narrated the story of his visit to Germany and how he was able to convince both the Turkish and the German passport police that he was a “proper” Turk only after hours of detention (Interview on 26 May 2007).

— "Is the Turk a White Man?" by Murat Ergin