JEWISH COMMUNITY OF TURKEY: GOVERNMENT'S GAZA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ISTANBUL 000038 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL TU OSCE SUBJECT: JEWISH COMMUNITY OF TURKEY: GOVERNMENT'S GAZA RHETORIC FANNING ANTI-SEMITISM REF: A. ANKARA 25 ¶B. ANKARA 36 ¶C. ANKARA 86 ¶D. 08 ISTANBUL 387 Classified By: Sharon A. Wiener for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). This is a joint Embassy Ankara / Consulate General Istanbul report. ¶1. (C) Summary. Three weeks of grassroots demonstrations throughout Turkey against the humanitarian crisis caused by Israeli actions in Gaza (refs A-C) have triggered anxiety within the Jewish Community of Turkey. Jewish Community president Sylvio Ovadya and vice president Lina Filiba shared their concerns with us after releasing an unprecedented press statement on January 15 discouraging anti-Semitic speech and identifying themselves as equal citizens of Turkey and a vital part of Turkish culture. Their greatest concern is that the perceived anti-Semitism seems to be driven by irresponsible government (GOT) officials' pre-election rhetoric, a perspective shared by some Turkish intellectuals. They claim this is the first time they have experienced "state-run anti-Semitism," having previously experienced a very healthy relationship with the GOT even when societal anti-Semitism peaked during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006. End Summary. Jewish Community Press Statement -------------- ¶2. (U) On January 15, the Jewish Community of Turkey issued an unprecedented press statement that ran in most major newspapers, but not the conservative, Islamic-leaning dailies. Following on three weeks of impassioned rhetoric against Israel, the Community pointed to their long-held place in Turkey. "We Turkish Jews are an inseparable part of the Turkish Republic and are deeply distressed by the insulting, humiliating accusations about our religion, and by being maliciously targeted by some national media." The Community said it was deeply saddened by the ongoing clashes and held a special prayer service in all synagogues in Turkey for peace and to commemorate those killed in the recent violence in Gaza. Greater Societal Anti-Semitism -------------- ¶3. (C) Members of the Jewish Community leadership said they were deeply troubled by what they perceive as the emergence of anti-Semitic statements spurred on by heated anti-Israeli sentiments. While Community President Sylvio Ovadya and Vice President Lina Filiba carefully noted that mainstream Turkish newspapers do not overtly participate in the growing "anti-semitic frenzy," they did point to articles and columns in more conservative newspapers that crossed the line into overt anti-semitic language and/or calls for violent action. "Vakit" columnist Hasan Karakaya specifically targeted Ovadya in a recent column and concluded his column with the statement "Jews equal terrorists." Ovadya shrugged off a question about his sense of security, but Filiba said that the Jewish Community leadership was extremely concerned for him because of Karakaya's comments. ¶4. (SBU) As evidence of growing societal anti-Semitism, they pointed to billboards prominently displayed around Istanbul calling for donations to support the people of Gaza (some clearly sponsored by the AKP and others bearing the picture of PM Erdogan's wife Emine) as well as some more provocative ones directed toward Jews saying "You can't be Moses' son" and featuring a bloody baby shoe. Some businesses in the central Anatolian city Eskisehir have reportedly posted signs noting that "Dogs are welcome, but Jews and Armenians are not allowed entry" and "Killer Israel" was painted on synagogues in Izmir and the Haydarpasa neighborhood in Istanbul. A recent informal boycott campaign targeting Jewish owned businesses has been successful, especially among the smaller shops. One Cagagoglu neighborhood shop owner came to work one morning to find "Don't buy from this dirty Jew" spray painted on the door. Ovadya lamented that in Turkey "they cannot tell the difference between a Jew and an Israeli." ¶5. (SBU) Human Rights Agenda Association President Orhan Kemal Cengiz told us January 21 that the fundamental problem is a Turkish mentality that can be very racist without ISTANBUL 00000038 002 OF 003 realizing it. Cengiz said he holds the Turkish press, and in particular the Islamic-leaning press accountable for inciting anti-Semitic hatred. He pointed out that "Vakit" and "Zaman" had been running large banner photos of dead children accompanied by "racist" headlines. PM Erdogan's remarks (ref A) had been normal political blustering, according to Cengiz. "The real problem are the constant pictures that bring to the fore Turks' intolerance, foment hatred, and demonstrate Turks' lack of cultural awareness," according to Cengiz. Government Complicity -------------- ¶6. (C) According to Filiba and Ovadya, the greatest problem in the last three weeks has been the language used by Prime Minister Erdogan and in GOT-sponsored programs to support the people of Gaza. While the Jewish Community of Turkey acknowledged Erdogan's January 13 speech against anti-Semitism in its press statement, Filiba and Ovadya told us each statement in favor of Turkish Jews was offset by statements that framed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a result of Jewish aggression. (Comment: We have not seen anything coming from the GOT using the word "Jewish." End Comment.) Having previously noted that the GOT was careful not to frame the issues of the Middle East as a Jewish-Muslim conflict (Ref D),they are concerned by this "significant and dangerous" reframing of the conflict. Filiba and Ovadya contend that this ominous mentality is shared by the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Interior and point to recent campaigns by the GOT to solicit donations from school children (ref C). ¶7. (C) Middle East Technical University (METU) Anthropology Professor Aykan Erdemir told us that he is deeply disturbed not just by the increasing number of clearly anti-Semitic events in Turkey but also by the lack of stern public response from the PM and his deputies. Erdemir said that by failing to disavow the incidents we are seeing around Turkey, PM Erdogan and the GOT are allowing incidents of intolerance and outright anti-Semitism to snowball. The GOT's unprecedented step of becoming officially involved by requiring public elementary schools to hold a moment of silence suggested a deep government bias. He said that the steadily rising anti-Semitic feelings hit particularly close to home because he has dedicated a large part of his work to teaching cultural awareness and sensitivity to build bridges between Sunnis and Turkey's minorities, including the Jewish community, noting, "One hundred of my lectures and seminars on cultural sensitivity could be undone with just one statement by the PM." ¶8. (C) Despite their previous strong relationships with the Jewish Community, Ovadya said no GOT officials offered to make supportive statements without being first approached by the Jewish Community. Commenting on the role of the GOT, prominent journalist Mehmet Ali Birand noted, "The worst thing about it is that the administration is a mere spectator." Filiba and Ovadya contend the GOT is more than observing, but actually fanning the flames of anti-Semitism. "Ramming cars into synagogues is far better than poisoning the minds of a population and future generations as the Prime Minister and others are doing." AKP Vehemently Denies Anti-Semitism Charges -------------- ¶9. (C) AKP Central Disciplinary Board Chairman Ismail Safi vehemently denied that AKP is fomenting anti-Semitic feelings. He told us January 20 that the Israeli invasion had brought out anti-Israel feelings throughout Turkey but that this feeling had only in very limited instances crossed the line. (Comment: It seems clear that Safi's definition of acceptable speech does not intersect precisely with the view of the representatives of the Jewish Community in Turkey. End Comment.) Turkish society remains tolerant and AKP sincerely believes in respect for all groups, according to Safi. He told us that the mounting evidence in the Ergenekon investigation shows that the attacks on Protestants, Catholic Priests, and other religious groups were set in motion by criminal gangs with the intent of creating instability and fomenting anti-AKP sentiment. He worries that the current mood had created "fertile ground" to be exploited once again by such criminal gangs. ¶10. (C) Prime Ministry Deputy Chief of Staff Yunus Emre Karaosmanoglu told us January 15 that the widespread national ISTANBUL 00000038 003 OF 003 sentiment and PM Erdogan's reactions were solely a reaction to "the massacre." Any interpretation of the PM's statement to the contrary was taking them out of context. AKP Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Murat Mercan offered similar themes during a January 16 roundtable. PM Erdogan's harsh statements against Israel, he said, were the result of Erdogan reacting to the deaths of Palestinian children "as a father, not as a politician." AKP Deputy Group Chair Sadullah Ergin told us January 17 that the Turkish people were very hurt by the Israeli attacks, which wrought havoc on a region that shared history and culture with Turkey. The GOT was continuing to implement a balanced approach that recognized its long friendship with Israel. Jewish Community Notes Some Positive Developments -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Some positive gestures have been made, Ovadya and Filiba pointed out. The Grand Mufti of Istanbul and the Diyanet asked for help from the Jewish Community leadership in the composition of a Friday prayer service warning against anti-Semitism that was read in all Diyanet mosques on January 16th. Unfortunately, Filiba said, imams are free to add their own commentary afterward, and one imam in the mosque directly across from the Jewish Community's Nev Shalom Cultural Center in Istanbul took the opportunity to make anti-Semitic remarks. She learned there are plans to remove the imam from his post. Filiba also expressed gratitude for the attentiveness of the Istanbul police protecting the Israeli Consulate. Members of the press have also stepped forward recently, Ovadya said. NTV featured a program on anti-Semitism with Bayukan and Mehmet Yilmaz and Filiba said that other journalists and intellectuals are spreading more awareness of anti-Semitism because "they fear that Erdogan's language has damaged Turkey." ¶12. (C) Comment. While Erdogan has carefully constructed his rhetoric so as to not damage Turkey's bilateral relationship with Israel, he has failed to take any leadership steps to disassociate Judaism from public feelings of anger against the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Israeli government. A lack of any sort of stern response from GOT officials addressing societal expressions of anti-Semitism is a cause for concern and suggests complicity. Political jockeying prior to the March local elections has only fanned the flames. A collective statement addressing anti-Semitism from politicians across the political spectrum would be a helpful gesture, but only the beginning of a much needed campaign. However, the pre-election political environment greatly diminishes the chance of any such statement. Wiener