Anti-Semitism Burning Bright in Turkey After Israeli Attacks on Gaza (and the Government is Fanning the Flames) · Global Voices
Erkan Saka

Turkey's prime minister has denounced Israel repeatedly. Screenshot from video uploaded by YouTube user Tamerscadence
There has long been considerable sympathy for Palestinians among Turkish people in all walks of life. However, Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza is now being used as a pretext to openly embrace anti-Semitism. The following manifestations of anti-Semitic sentiment occurring in Turkey this week all have a relationship — either direct or indirect — to the Justice and Development (AKP) party headed by Turkish prime minister and vocal Israel critic Recep Erdoğan.
1. On July 17,Bülent Yıldırım, the leader of IHH (Human Relief Foundation), a charity organization that organized the fateful Gaza Freedom Flotilla in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza in 2010, told a pro-government TV channel:
İHH Başkanı Bülent Yıldırım @tvnethaber‘de: “İsrail'ın şımarıklığını Türkiye'deki Yahudi cemaatleri bitirir. Yoksa çok kötü şeyler olacak”
— Yeni Şafak (@yenisafak) July 17, 2014:
Israel’s spoiled attitude could spell the end for Jewish communities living in Turkey. Otherwise more bad things will happen…
Later that night a group of protesters threw stones at the building housing Israel's consulate in Istanbul and deformed an impressionist statue which has nothing to do with Israel. The police used pepper gas, which is unusual in the context of the government's general approach towards Islamic protesters.
2. Prominent AKP MP, Şamil Tayyar, added the following tweet to the anti-Semitic mix:
Soyunuz kurusun Hitleriniz eksik olmasın
— Şamil Tayyar (@samiltayyar27) July 17, 2014
Hope your race disappears under many more new Hitlers.
3. On July 18 Uğur Işılak, a singer whose song is used in the electoral campaigns of Recep Erdoğan's ruling AKP (Justice) party tweeted the following messages:
Hitler'in zulmünü bile gölgede bıraktın. Bundan böyle Hitler aleyhine laf söyleyecek son millet bile olamazsın.
— Uğur Işılak (@ugur_isilak) July 18, 2014
Your [Israel] tyranny has overshadowed Hitler's. From now on, you are the last country to speak against Hitler.
Allah, zalime zulmüyle sonunu hazırlatıyor. #TerroristsIsrael
— Uğur Işılak (@ugur_isilak) July 18, 2014
Allah reminds the tyrant of its end by the hand of tyranny #TerroristIsrael
Sana ülke diyenin, seni insan sayanın insanlığından şüphe etmeli.
— Uğur Işılak (@ugur_isilak) July 18, 2014
One should be suspicious of the humanity of anyone that calls this place a country.
4. Finally, on July 19 a crossword in the religiouly conservative, pro-Erdoğan Yeni Akit tabloid appeared to call for the most famous anti-Semite of all to put a stop to the bombardment of Gaza.
Shocking.. Turkish newspaper Akit publishes crossword with pic of Hitler, and keywords under it “We are searching for you” pic.twitter.com/rCfwvxtZxV
— Ziya Meral (@Ziya_Meral) July 19, 2014
Later the same day, when making a public appearance in the Black Sea city of Ordu, Erdoğan echoed Şamil Tayyar's views on similarities between Hitler and the Israeli government — claiming the latter had “surpassed” the former in “barbarism” — but voiced his disapproval towards attacks on Jews living inside Turkey.