Rising Anti-Semitism in Turkey

Irmak Ozer

Commenting on the Gaza War taking place in January 2009, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan declared that Israel was committing “a crime against humanity”. It was an unexpected reaction considering Turkey’s close strategic friendship with Israel as well as the Turkish mediation efforts between Israel and Syria. Erdogan’s comment did not only upset Israel but also the Jewish citizens of Turkey.
Turkey has been witnessing uprising of nationalist feelings in the last few years. It will not be wrong to say that when nationalism rises in Turkey, the first targets are the non-Muslims and the Kurds. The murder of the Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, assassinations of the Christian clergymen and the Zirve Bookstore killings are few of the many events that have worried greatly the minorities in Turkey recently.
The Gaza War brought back the nationalist ghost hunting the Jewish minority. Hundreds rallied in the streets of Turkey, showing their support for their “Palestinian brothers” and cursing Israel, therefore, wrongly, the Jews. Already frustrated Turkish public was encouraged by the politicians’ attitudes towards Israel such as Erdogan’s walk off from the Davos meeting after his quarrel with President of Israel, Shimon Peres. Erdogan was welcomed as a hero on his way back from Davos. The most exaggerated reaction of the Turkish state came from the Ministry of Education. In a notice by the Ministry of Education circulated to every school in Turkey; the Ministry called for homage in all primary and middle schools in the name of solidarity with the Palestinians. The Ministry also announced an essay and a drawing competition under the subject “The Humanity Drama in Palestine” which were later withdrawn. The hatred reflected itself with the thousands of propaganda posters on the walls of Istanbul, the notices and threats left at the door of synagogues in Istanbul and Izmir. Acts reminding the Nazi period have been undertaken such as putting a poster on a shop close to Istanbul University saying that “Do not buy from here, since this shop is owned by a Jew”. A notice was put at the entrance of an association in Eskisehir stating that “The dogs can enter; the Jews and the Armenians cannot”. Finally, a group of teachers in Kayseri handed out halva for Adolf Hitler’s soul which is an Islamic ritual, to bless the death’s soul.
Following these events, the Jewish Community in Turkey made a statement saying, “As an inseparable component of the Turkish Republic, we the Turkish Jews feel deep sorrow over recent comments in some Turkish publications that denigrate and insult our religion and make us targets”. Right after this statement, the Jewish American Lobby also took action by writing a letter to Erdogan uttering their concern over the rising anti-Semitism in Turkey, the acts and statements of the public authorities and their linkage to the anti-Semitic attitudes of the public.
Erdogan, in respond, pulled back from his over-emotional speeches about “the Palestinian drama” and attended to the Jewish concerns stating that there is no anti-Semitism in the history of Turkey. He said, “I am a leader who has said that anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity. It is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that the protests, reactions, commentaries do not offend our own citizens. We can never accept discrimination on ethnic, religious, or communal grounds.”
Pew Global Attitudes Survey done in 2008 indicated that anti-Jewish sentiment in Turkey had risen up to 76% and it is highly probable that it has risen even more after the Gaza War. This recent trend of anti-Semitism seems to be calmed down for now with the softening attitudes of the politicians and Turkey’s fast changing agenda. As one journalist says, Turkish people are “event-addicts”; they would be carried away by the day’s news, react in sometimes exaggerated ways, then all would be forgotten the next day. The very least we can do is to hope that this anti-Semitist wave was a temporary one and the politicians will be more careful about the minorities’ sensitivities before inflaming the public’s nationalist feelings.