Dursun Ali Şahin, the governor of the northwestern province of Edirne, sparked an outcry when he said on Nov. 21 that the Büyük Sinagog (the Great Synagogue), built in 1907 under Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, should only be used as a museum.
Şahin called Turkey’s Chief Rabbi Ishak Haleva on Nov. 24 to offer an “apology” for his remarks, but also expressed his “profound sadness” that they were misunderstood and “distorted,” the office of the chief rabbi said in a statement released late on Nov. 24.
Around the same time as the statement was released, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said the governor had made a “mistake” and assured that the synagogue, the second biggest in Europe, would not lose its status.
“While restoring the synagogue, one cannot think about taking away its function as a place of worship,” Arınç told reporters at a press conference after the weekly Cabinet meeting on Nov. 24.
“The governor made a mistake. I respect and appreciate him. He acted emotionally. We condemn the atrocities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but we cannot look at the Jews here with an evil eye,” he added.
[hurriyetdailynews.com]
25/11/14
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Turkish official: All citizens treated equally ...
ReplyDeleteTurkey treats all its citizens equally irrespective of their beliefs, according to Turkey's Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Tanju Bilgic's remarks came Monday after the debates on the ancient Great Synagogue in Turkey's far northwestern Edirne province, and whether it will be put into service as a religious or cultural center after the completion of its restoration.
The Great Synagogue was constructed in 1907 in Kaleici village in Edirne on the orders of Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II. It lost its ceiling and its side wall in 1997.
"Actually this question should not be addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the members of the Jewish community in Turkey are our citizens who enjoy equal rights and freedoms with the rest of the society," said Bilgic.............http://www.aa.com.tr/en/news/426384--turkish-official-all-citizens-treated-equally
26/11/14