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WOW! TURKEY'S ERDOGAN TO MEET JEWISH, ARMENIAN LEADERS IN NY!
The Jewish Press
Sept 22 2014
Turkey's President Erdogan is meeting with Jewish and Armenian leaders
in New York -- but so what?
By: Rachel Levy
Roll out the red carpet! Make sure the horns are filled with lemon
juice. Get out the brass band. Are the spittoons all polished?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in New York and
is set to meet with Jewish and Armenian leaders on the sidelines of
the United Nations General Assembly. The summit runs from Sept. 22
(today) through Oct. 1.
Erdogan is set to meet first with the Jews on September 23,
specifically with a delegation from the World Jewish Congress led by
Ronald S. Lauder, according to the Daily Sabah newspaper.
(He is also expected to meet with Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
the primate of Diocese of Armenian Church of America (Eastern) and
president of the Fund for Armenian Relief, at a later unspecified
time. This is another "biggie" since Turkey has a running issue with
a 1915 accusation of genocide that has never been entirely resolved.)
The way the news of these meetings is being trumpeted about in Israeli
and Jewish media, one might think that something is actually going
to come of it. Sadly, nothing is likely to be further from the truth.
Erdogan's previous vows to "protect the rights of the Jewish community
in Turkey" and his claims that the government will "never let the
Jewish people in Turkey get hurt" have been widely quoted by Turkish
media. But frankly, Harriet, some of the more jaded journalists
who have been around the corner a few times are a bit skeptical -
including me.
Israel's recent counter terror Operation Protective Edge in Gaza,
launched to end incessant rocket fire aimed at Israeli civilians,
prompted an absolute flood of anti-Semitic rhetoric this summer from
the newly-elected Turkish president.
The verbal temper tantrum from a president who backs Hamas, which was
founded by the Muslim Brotherhood with which Erdogan is very close,
inspired in response a stream of vicious anti-Semitic op-eds. They were
written by columnists calling on the government to force Turkish Jews
to pay for Gaza reparations, and to punish Turkey's Jewish community
for "Israeli war crimes."
Erdogan did nothing to silence those voices, nor to protect the Israeli
embassy from the rioting mob that attacked its offices in Ankara this
summer. Police in Istanbul had more initiative and blocked off the
Israeli Consulate in their city; but little else was done. No public
statements were forthcoming denouncing the violence, or defending
the rights of the country's Jews. A lukewarm statement was issued
days later mentioning that Turkish Jews are citizens of the country,
after all; and added it was best if they denounced Israel anyway.
But Turkish anti-Semitism is unfortunately not new. It was apparently
quite hale and hearty during the Ottoman Empire, as a columnist for
The Huffington Post pointed out this week.
There was the infamous Wealth Tax of 1942, and the Thrace pogrom which
started in June 1934 but unlike the Russian version, lasted a month.
It dragged on until it reached a peak on the night of July 3, when
Jewish homes in Kirklareli - near the Bulgarian border - were raided.
Most of the Jews who abandoned their homes in 1934 never went back.
More emigrated in 1948-49, upon the rebirth of the State of Israel.
Although there is little actual physical violence today against Jews
in Turkey, save for the sporadic crimes that plague any society,
the under-current of anti-Semitism is never far from the surface. It
is impossible to walk into any supermarket in Istanbul, for example,
and find any packaged item marked with reliable kosher supervision
on the label. It simply doesn't exist.
Synagogues have become armored fortresses. At the Neve Shalom shul
in Istanbul, one is required to hand over a passport simply to enter
the building. There, the grim-faced Turkish security guard will check
you out and grudgingly let you through a metal detector, but he won't
allow you to take your passport back until you exit the premises. And
don't dawdle.
Don't even think of trying to exchange Israeli shekels for Turkish
lira in the airport, if you were silly enough to pass through Tel
Aviv on your way to Istanbul or Ankara.
The sense of hostility is growing ever more palpable by the day. One
can feel it in the air; and the not-so-subtle government backing
received by anti-Semites this time around is making things even worse.
A survey conducted by Gonzo Insight found that nearly 31,000 (30,926)
tweets in Turkish on the Twitter social networking site were posted
in support of the Holocaust within 24 hours on July 17-18. That came
10 days after the start of Operation Protective Edge.
Families of Israeli diplomats and non-essential personnel were
recalled this summer due to the deteriorating security situation. A
kosher supervisor who normally stays in Turkey left the country -
and reported had "problems" in the airport on the way out. Other
Turkish Jews are quietly making contingency plans as well.
Oddly, Louis Fishman, an assistant professor at Brooklyn College
(CUNY), also received a number of threats. Fishman, who spent several
years in Turkey, was attacked in response to an article he wrote
for Ha'aretz by fellow academic Ali Ihsan Goker, a chair of physics
at Bilecik Seyh Edibali University. Goker tweeted -- in English --
"Treblinka will be ready soon. Constructing the railway to transport
jews (sic) at the moment," a blatant threat which under the Turkish
penal code is punishable by law.
Instead, Goker was recently awarded a research grant by the
government-funded Scientific and Technological Research Council of
Turkey, according to The Huffington Post.
In an op-ed penned for the Post, Umut Ozkirimli, professor of
Contemporary Turkey Studies at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies
(CMES) at Lund University, sums up the current danger faced by Turkish
Jews. He writes: "anti-semitist sentiments are much more mainstream and
legitimate than before, given the open backing of the representatives
of the ruling AKP, the lack of legal sanctions against hate speech
towards Jews (and other minorities) and the general atmosphere of
intolerance and polarization which breed these sentiments."
As influential as the World Jewish Congress may be, it is likely that
anything its delegation may have to say will have about as much effect
on Turkey's president as have any other past requests or admonitions
he has heard from Americans, starting with U.S. President Barack
Obama. (read: zero.)
Erdogan is also scheduled to meet with United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, and will be interviewed by American journalist Charlie
Rose, in addition to his sit-downs with other world leaders.
Will any of them bother to ask Erdogan the tough questions?
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/wow-turkeys-erdogan-to-meet-jewish-armenian-leaders-in-ny/2014/09/22/
The Jewish Press
Sept 22 2014
Turkey's President Erdogan is meeting with Jewish and Armenian leaders
in New York -- but so what?
By: Rachel Levy
Roll out the red carpet! Make sure the horns are filled with lemon
juice. Get out the brass band. Are the spittoons all polished?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in New York and
is set to meet with Jewish and Armenian leaders on the sidelines of
the United Nations General Assembly. The summit runs from Sept. 22
(today) through Oct. 1.
Erdogan is set to meet first with the Jews on September 23,
specifically with a delegation from the World Jewish Congress led by
Ronald S. Lauder, according to the Daily Sabah newspaper.
(He is also expected to meet with Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
the primate of Diocese of Armenian Church of America (Eastern) and
president of the Fund for Armenian Relief, at a later unspecified
time. This is another "biggie" since Turkey has a running issue with
a 1915 accusation of genocide that has never been entirely resolved.)
The way the news of these meetings is being trumpeted about in Israeli
and Jewish media, one might think that something is actually going
to come of it. Sadly, nothing is likely to be further from the truth.
Erdogan's previous vows to "protect the rights of the Jewish community
in Turkey" and his claims that the government will "never let the
Jewish people in Turkey get hurt" have been widely quoted by Turkish
media. But frankly, Harriet, some of the more jaded journalists
who have been around the corner a few times are a bit skeptical -
including me.
Israel's recent counter terror Operation Protective Edge in Gaza,
launched to end incessant rocket fire aimed at Israeli civilians,
prompted an absolute flood of anti-Semitic rhetoric this summer from
the newly-elected Turkish president.
The verbal temper tantrum from a president who backs Hamas, which was
founded by the Muslim Brotherhood with which Erdogan is very close,
inspired in response a stream of vicious anti-Semitic op-eds. They were
written by columnists calling on the government to force Turkish Jews
to pay for Gaza reparations, and to punish Turkey's Jewish community
for "Israeli war crimes."
Erdogan did nothing to silence those voices, nor to protect the Israeli
embassy from the rioting mob that attacked its offices in Ankara this
summer. Police in Istanbul had more initiative and blocked off the
Israeli Consulate in their city; but little else was done. No public
statements were forthcoming denouncing the violence, or defending
the rights of the country's Jews. A lukewarm statement was issued
days later mentioning that Turkish Jews are citizens of the country,
after all; and added it was best if they denounced Israel anyway.
But Turkish anti-Semitism is unfortunately not new. It was apparently
quite hale and hearty during the Ottoman Empire, as a columnist for
The Huffington Post pointed out this week.
There was the infamous Wealth Tax of 1942, and the Thrace pogrom which
started in June 1934 but unlike the Russian version, lasted a month.
It dragged on until it reached a peak on the night of July 3, when
Jewish homes in Kirklareli - near the Bulgarian border - were raided.
Most of the Jews who abandoned their homes in 1934 never went back.
More emigrated in 1948-49, upon the rebirth of the State of Israel.
Although there is little actual physical violence today against Jews
in Turkey, save for the sporadic crimes that plague any society,
the under-current of anti-Semitism is never far from the surface. It
is impossible to walk into any supermarket in Istanbul, for example,
and find any packaged item marked with reliable kosher supervision
on the label. It simply doesn't exist.
Synagogues have become armored fortresses. At the Neve Shalom shul
in Istanbul, one is required to hand over a passport simply to enter
the building. There, the grim-faced Turkish security guard will check
you out and grudgingly let you through a metal detector, but he won't
allow you to take your passport back until you exit the premises. And
don't dawdle.
Don't even think of trying to exchange Israeli shekels for Turkish
lira in the airport, if you were silly enough to pass through Tel
Aviv on your way to Istanbul or Ankara.
The sense of hostility is growing ever more palpable by the day. One
can feel it in the air; and the not-so-subtle government backing
received by anti-Semites this time around is making things even worse.
A survey conducted by Gonzo Insight found that nearly 31,000 (30,926)
tweets in Turkish on the Twitter social networking site were posted
in support of the Holocaust within 24 hours on July 17-18. That came
10 days after the start of Operation Protective Edge.
Families of Israeli diplomats and non-essential personnel were
recalled this summer due to the deteriorating security situation. A
kosher supervisor who normally stays in Turkey left the country -
and reported had "problems" in the airport on the way out. Other
Turkish Jews are quietly making contingency plans as well.
Oddly, Louis Fishman, an assistant professor at Brooklyn College
(CUNY), also received a number of threats. Fishman, who spent several
years in Turkey, was attacked in response to an article he wrote
for Ha'aretz by fellow academic Ali Ihsan Goker, a chair of physics
at Bilecik Seyh Edibali University. Goker tweeted -- in English --
"Treblinka will be ready soon. Constructing the railway to transport
jews (sic) at the moment," a blatant threat which under the Turkish
penal code is punishable by law.
Instead, Goker was recently awarded a research grant by the
government-funded Scientific and Technological Research Council of
Turkey, according to The Huffington Post.
In an op-ed penned for the Post, Umut Ozkirimli, professor of
Contemporary Turkey Studies at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies
(CMES) at Lund University, sums up the current danger faced by Turkish
Jews. He writes: "anti-semitist sentiments are much more mainstream and
legitimate than before, given the open backing of the representatives
of the ruling AKP, the lack of legal sanctions against hate speech
towards Jews (and other minorities) and the general atmosphere of
intolerance and polarization which breed these sentiments."
As influential as the World Jewish Congress may be, it is likely that
anything its delegation may have to say will have about as much effect
on Turkey's president as have any other past requests or admonitions
he has heard from Americans, starting with U.S. President Barack
Obama. (read: zero.)
Erdogan is also scheduled to meet with United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, and will be interviewed by American journalist Charlie
Rose, in addition to his sit-downs with other world leaders.
Will any of them bother to ask Erdogan the tough questions?
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/wow-turkeys-erdogan-to-meet-jewish-armenian-leaders-in-ny/2014/09/22/