Did Trump's business interests exclude Egypt, Turkey from visa-ban?

Did Trump's business interests exclude Egypt, Turkey from visa-ban?
While seven Muslim-majority nations were placed on Trump's banned list citing 'terror concerns', some nations that have battled with terrorism, were excluded from the list.
2 min read
27 January, 2017
Trump holds several real estate ventures in the Middle East [Getty]

Citing alleged terror concerns, US President Donald Trump revealed plans to place restrictions on immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries this week, but some Arab nations, despite years of instability and terrorism, managed to avoid the list.

The newly-inaugurated president publicised policies to adopt measures to limit immigration to the United States to citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan on Wednesday.

The entirety of the Gulf region, in which Trump is thought to have strong business interests, was left unmentioned, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

But eyebrows were raised when Turkey and Egypt, both of which endured high-profile terror attacks throughout 2016, were also omitted from Trump’s list.

According to Bloomberg News, the two nations – though unstable – remain as a source of income for Trump’s businesses in the region.

The US president still maintains positions in two companies that has ties to businesses in Egypt, and has on several occasions shown support for the Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Meanwhile in Turkey, Trump’s name decorates two luxury towers in Istanbul – an image replicated in several cities across the world.

Trump's holdings include more than 500 private companies, some of which he creates for prospective deals, and the complex and changing structure makes it difficult for Americans to track his financial interests and partners.

In the days after his election victory, then president-elect Donald Trump shut down some of his companies, including four that appeared connected to a possible Saudi Arabian business venture, according to corporate registrations in Delaware.

To avoid a conflict of interest, Trump named his children - Ivanka, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump ― as heads of his global Trump Organisation.

Trump has disclosed the names and some details about companies in public filings, but a complete picture of Trump's finances is unclear, given that he has broken with decades of presidential precedent by not releasing his tax returns.

The president’s move to ban citizens from majority-Muslim countries prompted further criticism, however his seemingly apparent sifting of what purports ‘terror concerns’ has left many questioning his intentions.

Trump is expected to sign executive orders that will temporarily restrict access to the United States for most refugees at the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security, the executive body responsible for immigration and border security.