As the conflict between Israel and Hamas escalates, Turkey is witnessing a troubling increase in antisemitic sentiment exacerbated mainly by media coverage and political discourse.
Pelin Ünker
DW
10/26/2023
10/26/2023
As anger about Israeli strikes on Gaza has grown, some Turks are turning against Jews
Emrah Gurel/AP Photo/picture alliance
The Jewish community in Turkey has raised concerns about rising antisemitism amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group.
Karel Valansi, a columnist for the T24 news website and the Turkish Jewish newspaper Salom, told DW that Jews are increasingly being associated with Israeli policies.
"What we see from the rhetoric of politicians, the press and social media is this: In the perception, Jews are completely removed from the position of citizens of the Republic of Turkey and turned into ambassadors and extensions of the state of Israel, and the anger against this state is directed toward Turkish Jews," Valansi said.
According to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, "accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations" is a contemporary example of antisemitism. The US, Germany and more than 40 other governments have formally adopted or endorsed the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
The Jewish community in Turkey has raised concerns about rising antisemitism amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group.
Karel Valansi, a columnist for the T24 news website and the Turkish Jewish newspaper Salom, told DW that Jews are increasingly being associated with Israeli policies.
"What we see from the rhetoric of politicians, the press and social media is this: In the perception, Jews are completely removed from the position of citizens of the Republic of Turkey and turned into ambassadors and extensions of the state of Israel, and the anger against this state is directed toward Turkish Jews," Valansi said.
According to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, "accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations" is a contemporary example of antisemitism. The US, Germany and more than 40 other governments have formally adopted or endorsed the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
Valansi also said antisemitic tendencies in public discourse, such as comments glorifying Adolf Hitler and Nazi ideologies, were resurfacing, causing a sense of insecurity among Jewish Turks.
More than 1,400 Israelis have died following the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas and allied groups, according to Israeli authorities. More than 7,000 people have been killed in Gaza in Israeli strikes in the last three weeks, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Hamas has been designated a terror organization by the European Union, the US, Germany and other governments.
'Enmity and hatred'
As civilian deaths have amplified the tensions, some newspapers in Turkey have been accused of promoting a sense of war.
"There are newspapers that are almost shouting war cries," Faruk Bildirici, an independent ombudsman and media commentator who spent nine years as the readers representative of the national daily newspaper Hurriyet, told DW.
Yeni Safak headlines: 'This Terror State Must Be Destroyed' and 'The Ummah is Standing'
On October 18, following the attack on the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, the front page of the pro-government daily Yeni Safak, a Turkish had the headlines: "This Terror State Must Be Destroyed" and "The Ummah is Standing" — ummah refers to the global Muslim community.
Bildirici raised concerns about framing the conflict as an interreligious war, noting this would further fuel animosity.
Portraying "what is going on as 'the ummah standing up' means that the war is being viewed and portrayed as a war between the West and the East or between Islam and Christianity/Judaism," Bildirici said. "This fuels enmity and hatred against the West and Christianity/Judaism."
On October 17, the pro-government Islamist daily Yeni Akit targeted Jewish Turks with the front-page headline "Deport the Zionist Servants from Citizenship."
Yeni Akit claimed that Jewish Turks are "considered citizens of Israel by nature" and, therefore, are going to Israel from cities such as Istanbul and Izmir to join the military service during the war.
Avlaremoz, a news and opinion website focused on Jewish affairs and antisemitism in Turkey, criticized Yeni Akit for coverage that does not reflect the truth.
Antisemitism spreads online
Hashtags such as #TürkiyeYahudileriVatandaşlıktanAtılsın (Expel Turkish Jews from citizenship) have arisen to target people who post about Israel.
Jewish artists and writers, even those not active on social media, have faced criticism for not publicly supporting Palestine.
The Jewish community within Turkey has broadly advocated for peace.
In a statement released on October 18, the Turkish Chief Rabbinate Foundation-Turkish Jewish Community wrote: "We strongly reject and condemn the targeting and killing of innocent civilians under any circumstances and wherever they are — particularly in places like hospitals, schools [and] nursing homes.
"We support the efforts of our state, the Republic of Turkey, since the first day to urgently restore peace and wish that all people can be brought to a lasting peace as soon as possible."
Antisemitism in politics
Some Turkish politicians have also turned to antisemitism in their rhetoric.
Addressing the Israel-Hamas conflict during a meeting of the parliamentary group of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to Hamas as a "group of mujahedeen," an Arabic meaning those fighting for Islam, rather than a terrorist organization. Erdogan also said he had canceled plans to visit Israel.
AKP and opposition politicians alike have shown their support for Hamas since the conflict began. On Tuesday, Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, another of Erdogan's alliance partners, called on Turkey to intervene in the conflict militarily to protect Gaza if a cease-fire cannot be achieved within 24 hours.
So far, there have been no large-scale organized demonstrations in Turkey against the Israel-Hamas conflict. However, riot control vehicles are waiting in front of the synagogues in Turkey for security purposes.
After the hospital explosion in Gaza, different groups gathered in front of the Israeli consulate in Istanbul and the embassy residence in Ankara to protest.
Some protesters in Istanbul shouted "takbir," an Islamic chant that means "God is the greatest," and broke through the outer walls of the plaza where the Israeli consulate was located.
Some Turkish politicians have also turned to antisemitism in their rhetoric.
Addressing the Israel-Hamas conflict during a meeting of the parliamentary group of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to Hamas as a "group of mujahedeen," an Arabic meaning those fighting for Islam, rather than a terrorist organization. Erdogan also said he had canceled plans to visit Israel.
AKP and opposition politicians alike have shown their support for Hamas since the conflict began. On Tuesday, Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, another of Erdogan's alliance partners, called on Turkey to intervene in the conflict militarily to protect Gaza if a cease-fire cannot be achieved within 24 hours.
So far, there have been no large-scale organized demonstrations in Turkey against the Israel-Hamas conflict. However, riot control vehicles are waiting in front of the synagogues in Turkey for security purposes.
After the hospital explosion in Gaza, different groups gathered in front of the Israeli consulate in Istanbul and the embassy residence in Ankara to protest.
Some protesters in Istanbul shouted "takbir," an Islamic chant that means "God is the greatest," and broke through the outer walls of the plaza where the Israeli consulate was located.
Turkish protesters in Ankara marched on October 18 holding a sign reading 'No to Genocide'
Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images
AKP's Istanbul branch announced that a "Great Palestine Rally" will be held on October 28 at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. Erdogan is expected to attend, as are the leaders of the parties in his ruling alliance.
Turkish Jews as equal citizens
Valansi said Jews were equal citizens who had contribute to Turkey's development and cultural fabric. Valansi said despite their long history in Anatolia, Turkish Jews are sometimes perceived as outsiders, a notion at odds with their significant contributions to the country.
"The public understanding of citizenship in Turkey does not include non-Muslims," Valansi said. "Despite being one of the founding elements of the Republic, Jews are perceived as guests, as a community to be tolerated and expected to show constant gratitude."
Most Jewish Turks reside in Istanbul. However, the increasing antisemitism has driven many to emigrate, including to Israel.
A population that had stood at 81,000 people nearly a century ago, according to 1927 census data, is now approximately 16,000-17,000, according to Turkey's Jewish community.
Edited by: Martin Kuebler and Davis VanOpdorp
Israel recalls diplomatic staff from Turkey after Erdogan's accusations of war crimes
Israel said Saturday it was recalling its diplomatic staff from Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a fierce attack on its military operation against Hamas militants in Gaza.
AAFP
Issued on: 29/10/2023 -
Israel said Saturday it was recalling its diplomatic staff from Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a fierce attack on its military operation against Hamas militants in Gaza.
AAFP
Issued on: 29/10/2023 -
Protesters chant slogans during a protest to show their solidarity with the Palestinians, in Istanbul, Turkey. Friday, October 27, 2023.
© Khalil Hamra, AP
By:NEWS WIRES
The announcement dealt a body blow to the sides' nascent efforts to restore political and economic relations after a decade of all but frozen ties.
Israel and Turkey – an overwhelmingly Muslim nation that forms the bulwark of NATO defences on the edge of the Middle East – had only just agreed to reappoint ambassadors last year.
They were also resuming discussions on a US-backed natural gas pipeline project that could have formed the basis for much closer and more lasting cooperation in the coming years.
But their relations unravelled as Erdogan began to pick up the pace and venom of his attacks on Israel's retaliatory military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on October 7 during which they killed 1,400 people – mostly civilians – and seized more than 220 hostages.
The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza has said Israeli strikes have killed 7,703 people – also mainly civilians – with more than 3,500 of them children.
Erdogan's Islamic-rooted party staged a massive rally in Istanbul on Saturday that the president said drew a crowd of 1.5 million people.
"Israel, you are an occupier," he told the Turkish and Palestinian-flag waving sea of supporters.
He accused the Israel government of behaving like a "war criminal" and trying to "eradicate" Palestinians.
"Of course, every country has the right to defend itself. But where is the justice in this case? There is no justice – just a vicious massacre happening in Gaza."
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen recalled all diplomatic staff from Turkey moments after Erdogan finished his remarks.
"Given the grave statements coming from Turkey, I have ordered the return of diplomatic representatives there in order to conduct a reevaluation of the relations between Israel and Turkey," he said in a statement.
'Crusade'
Israel had already ordered diplomatic staff out of Turkey and several other regional countries as a security precaution earlier this month.
A Turkish diplomatic source said all Israeli diplomats had left the country by October 19.
"It is difficult to understand whom Cohen had instructed to return," the Turkish diplomatic source said.
But Cohen's statement adds a new diplomatic dimension to the withdrawal.
It follows Erdogan's own announcement earlier this week that he was cancelling plans to visit Israel because of its "inhumane" war.
The sides' diplomatic relations are now in danger of falling to the lows they experienced when an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship carrying aid into Gaza killed 10 civilians in 2010.
Erdogan has been a leading international supporter of Palestinian rights during his two-decade rule.
Read moreQatar, Iran, Turkey and beyond: Hamas's network of allies
He told Saturday's rally that Israel was "a pawn in the region" that was being used by Western powers to stamp their authority on the Middle East.
"The main culprit behind the massacre unfolding in Gaza is the West," Erdogan declared.
And he accused Israel's allies of creating a "crusade war atmosphere" pitting Christians against Muslims.
"Listen to our call for dialogue," Erdogan said. "No one loses from a just peace."
Erdogan's address came in response to days of pro-Palestinian protests in Istanbul and other major cities organised by Turkey's more right-wing and Islamic conservative groups.
But one poll released this week showed the majority of respondents preferring to see Turkey remain either neutral or try to play a mediating role in the war.
The Metropoll survey showed 11.3 percent of the respondents saying they "back Hamas".
But 34.5 percent said Turkey should stay "neutral" and 26.4 percent said it should mediate.
Just 3.0 percent said they "support Israel".
(AFP)
By:NEWS WIRES
The announcement dealt a body blow to the sides' nascent efforts to restore political and economic relations after a decade of all but frozen ties.
Israel and Turkey – an overwhelmingly Muslim nation that forms the bulwark of NATO defences on the edge of the Middle East – had only just agreed to reappoint ambassadors last year.
They were also resuming discussions on a US-backed natural gas pipeline project that could have formed the basis for much closer and more lasting cooperation in the coming years.
But their relations unravelled as Erdogan began to pick up the pace and venom of his attacks on Israel's retaliatory military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on October 7 during which they killed 1,400 people – mostly civilians – and seized more than 220 hostages.
The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza has said Israeli strikes have killed 7,703 people – also mainly civilians – with more than 3,500 of them children.
Erdogan's Islamic-rooted party staged a massive rally in Istanbul on Saturday that the president said drew a crowd of 1.5 million people.
"Israel, you are an occupier," he told the Turkish and Palestinian-flag waving sea of supporters.
He accused the Israel government of behaving like a "war criminal" and trying to "eradicate" Palestinians.
"Of course, every country has the right to defend itself. But where is the justice in this case? There is no justice – just a vicious massacre happening in Gaza."
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen recalled all diplomatic staff from Turkey moments after Erdogan finished his remarks.
"Given the grave statements coming from Turkey, I have ordered the return of diplomatic representatives there in order to conduct a reevaluation of the relations between Israel and Turkey," he said in a statement.
'Crusade'
Israel had already ordered diplomatic staff out of Turkey and several other regional countries as a security precaution earlier this month.
A Turkish diplomatic source said all Israeli diplomats had left the country by October 19.
"It is difficult to understand whom Cohen had instructed to return," the Turkish diplomatic source said.
But Cohen's statement adds a new diplomatic dimension to the withdrawal.
It follows Erdogan's own announcement earlier this week that he was cancelling plans to visit Israel because of its "inhumane" war.
The sides' diplomatic relations are now in danger of falling to the lows they experienced when an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship carrying aid into Gaza killed 10 civilians in 2010.
Erdogan has been a leading international supporter of Palestinian rights during his two-decade rule.
Read moreQatar, Iran, Turkey and beyond: Hamas's network of allies
He told Saturday's rally that Israel was "a pawn in the region" that was being used by Western powers to stamp their authority on the Middle East.
"The main culprit behind the massacre unfolding in Gaza is the West," Erdogan declared.
And he accused Israel's allies of creating a "crusade war atmosphere" pitting Christians against Muslims.
"Listen to our call for dialogue," Erdogan said. "No one loses from a just peace."
Erdogan's address came in response to days of pro-Palestinian protests in Istanbul and other major cities organised by Turkey's more right-wing and Islamic conservative groups.
But one poll released this week showed the majority of respondents preferring to see Turkey remain either neutral or try to play a mediating role in the war.
The Metropoll survey showed 11.3 percent of the respondents saying they "back Hamas".
But 34.5 percent said Turkey should stay "neutral" and 26.4 percent said it should mediate.
Just 3.0 percent said they "support Israel".
(AFP)
‘Forever’: A home dedicated to the memory of Turkey’s founder
By AFP
October 26, 2023
'He have us the republic as a gift,' Mukkades Kokeralp Cirak says of Turkish founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk - Copyright AFP ANTHONY WALLACE
Ozan KOSE
The clocks in pensioner Mukaddes Kokeralp Cirak’s house still show the moment modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk died in 1938.
So do the calendars and all sort of other trinkets dedicated to the man who built a brand new nation out of the Ottoman Empire’s ruins 100 years ago.
As Turkey celebrates its centenary Sunday, few places look as festive as Cirak’s two-story house, which she has turned into a museum dedicated to the “father of all Turks”.
“He gave us the republic as a gift,” the 85-year-old said in the northwestern city of Edirne, pointing to a statue of Ataturk seated in an armchair in her living room.
After a lifetime of hard work in Germany, the mother of two returned to Turkey in 1985. She began collecting objects related to Ataturk upon her husband’s death.
Cirak paid for some of the items and gathered others, such as calendars and notebooks featuring Ataturk that have been released by banks and even the army through the years.
Her house is now a living tribute to Ataturk, its walls and even facade and garden emblazoned with portraits, photos and other tributes to the one-time field marshal.
Her garage serves as a warehouse for all the photos she no longer has room to hang. She dusts them regularly.
Cirak said her passion came from her great-grandfather, whose family was close to Mustafa Kemal’s in Thessaloniki, a Greek port city that was once part of the Ottoman Empire where Ataturk was born.
The family met Turkey’s future hero when he was still an officer in the Ottoman army, where he was doing his military service.
Cirak never misses official commemorations ceremonies and frequently visits schools to talk about Ataturk with younger generations.
After her death, she wants her collection to be donated to a museum, for the benefit of Turkey and the rest of the world.
But she is worried about the political track the country has taken under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has reversed some of Ataturk’s secular reforms over his 20-year rule.
Erdogan and his Islamic-rooted party are overseeing relatively muted celebrations of the centenary, and Cirak fears that the Turkish leader is not paying her hero enough respect.
“I hope the republic will last forever, not just another century,” she said.
By AFP
October 26, 2023
'He have us the republic as a gift,' Mukkades Kokeralp Cirak says of Turkish founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk - Copyright AFP ANTHONY WALLACE
Ozan KOSE
The clocks in pensioner Mukaddes Kokeralp Cirak’s house still show the moment modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk died in 1938.
So do the calendars and all sort of other trinkets dedicated to the man who built a brand new nation out of the Ottoman Empire’s ruins 100 years ago.
As Turkey celebrates its centenary Sunday, few places look as festive as Cirak’s two-story house, which she has turned into a museum dedicated to the “father of all Turks”.
“He gave us the republic as a gift,” the 85-year-old said in the northwestern city of Edirne, pointing to a statue of Ataturk seated in an armchair in her living room.
After a lifetime of hard work in Germany, the mother of two returned to Turkey in 1985. She began collecting objects related to Ataturk upon her husband’s death.
Cirak paid for some of the items and gathered others, such as calendars and notebooks featuring Ataturk that have been released by banks and even the army through the years.
Her house is now a living tribute to Ataturk, its walls and even facade and garden emblazoned with portraits, photos and other tributes to the one-time field marshal.
Her garage serves as a warehouse for all the photos she no longer has room to hang. She dusts them regularly.
Cirak said her passion came from her great-grandfather, whose family was close to Mustafa Kemal’s in Thessaloniki, a Greek port city that was once part of the Ottoman Empire where Ataturk was born.
The family met Turkey’s future hero when he was still an officer in the Ottoman army, where he was doing his military service.
Cirak never misses official commemorations ceremonies and frequently visits schools to talk about Ataturk with younger generations.
After her death, she wants her collection to be donated to a museum, for the benefit of Turkey and the rest of the world.
But she is worried about the political track the country has taken under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has reversed some of Ataturk’s secular reforms over his 20-year rule.
Erdogan and his Islamic-rooted party are overseeing relatively muted celebrations of the centenary, and Cirak fears that the Turkish leader is not paying her hero enough respect.
“I hope the republic will last forever, not just another century,” she said.
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