Opinion

Turkish businessman deserves support

The way in which up to 200 people gathered at relatively short notice in west Belfast in public support of the Turkish businessman Mehmet Oner, after another serious attack on his barber's shop, sent out a powerful message.

It is ludicrous that Mr Oner has apparently been targeted simply because he briefly provided employment for a 32-year-old fellow countryman who has been charged with the murder of the young boxer Eamonn Magee in the same part of the city.

There is a strong hint of racism about the acts of intimidation which have been directed against Mr Oner, including the ramming of his premises with a van in the middle of the night, and it is essential that the perpetrators are brought to justice without delay