Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has become a rogue and even terrorist state, choosing the path of hostility and expansion, instead of getting along and cooperating with its neighbors in order to be accepted.
Everyone knows and sees the policies implemented by the Israeli state that are against human rights and international law, but due to the interests of the powers ruling the world, no one properly objects to these bandits except the Turkish state.
There has been a very special relationship between Jews and Turks throughout history. Turks have saved Jews from great massacres for centuries.
In the 7th-10th centuries, Christians embarked on a great hunt for Jews in Anatolia, Eastern and Central Europe. They tortured and killed those they caught and fed them to animals. Jews had to hide their identities, live as if they were Christians, and had to change their nationality and religion. While the Jewish community was going through one of the darkest periods in their history, the Khazar Khanate, which was established at the beginning of the 7th century and dominated the Caucasus and the northern plains of the Black Sea in a short time, became a living space for the Jews. Vast Turkish tolerance and justice saved the Jews from a great massacre. Those who were able to come to Turkish lands lived their religion and traditions freely. So much so that the policy of tolerance shown by the Khazars towards the Jews and other tribes they dominated was recorded in golden letters in world literature under the name of “Khazar Peace (Pax Khazarica in Latin)”.
In addition to the Caspian Peace, there are many other events in Jewish history that show Turkish friendship. For example, each of the crusades, which started at the end of the 11th century and continued until the end of the 13th century, was a great disaster for the Jews, but those who were able to escape to the lands under Turkish rule continued to live in freedom and security.
The Jews, who were under great oppression in Northern Macedonia during the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, were saved by the Sultan’s decree. Again, in 1470, a group of Jews who escaped from Europe were taken under protection and settled in Turkish lands.
When Europe embarked on a new massacre of Jews at the end of the 15th century, the Turks again appeared on the scene as saviors. II. Bayezid brought some of the Jews who were subjected to great massacre and persecution in Spain and Portugal to Turkish lands. Jews who managed to escape from these regions were accepted into Turkish lands without question.
During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Jews in Ancona, Italy were protected. Pope IV On Paul’s instructions, the Jews in this city were imprisoned, tortured, and their property was confiscated. Sultan Suleiman stepped in in 1556 and these Jews were saved.
Suleiman the Magnificent, who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, also put the seal of tolerance of the Turks on the Jaffa Gate. He placed an inscription on the door saying “La Ilahe Illallah Ibrahim Halilullah” (There is no god but Allah. Ibrahim is His friend). Here, the Ottoman Sultan used the phrase Hz. Muhammad, the common prophet of all three heavenly religions, in order not to offend the non-Muslims living in Jerusalem, instead of the Kalima Tawhid. He chose to have Abraham’s name written.
The Jews, who were victimized in Poland, were saved from a great massacre in 1568 by the initiatives of Selim II.
Empress Maria Theresia, who reigned in Austria between 1740 and 1780, decided to exile the Jews living in Austrian cities, especially Vienna, from the country. This was prevented by the intervention of the Turkish government and the empress had to apologize to the Jews.
The Ottoman Empire took under protection the Jews who were persecuted in Serbia in 1867 and in Romania in 1872, through diplomatic initiatives.
In 1908, II. After the declaration of the Constitutional Monarchy, the province of Yemen was granted autonomy, while ensuring that the situation of the Jews living there was preserved.
During the War of Independence, when Izmir was occupied by the Greeks, the Jews there made an agreement with Greek sailors to go to Istanbul. But the Greeks deceived the Jews and left them to the Greek islands instead of Istanbul. Jews, who were in hunger and misery, were rescued by the Red Crescent and brought to Istanbul, despite the very difficult conditions of the period.
Jewish historian Eliyahu Kapsali (1483-1555), in his Hebrew work on Ottoman history, attributed a messianic mission to the Turks and used the following expressions for the Turks; “If God had not saved us by using the Turks, the Jews would have perished. Jews found a safe haven in this beautiful country (Turkey) full of mercy and compassion. May God bless the Turks who had mercy on the Jews and treated them well. Turks have great and magnificent sultans like themselves.”
These attitudes of the Turks, who have been literally superheroes for the Jews throughout history, have never been reciprocated. In return for these great favors, Israel has adopted hostile policies against the Turks at every opportunity. The most obvious example of this is his support of the terrorist organization PKK and his support for this organization, which is a baby killer like him.
In fact, the reason why Turks protect and protect this community is not because they are Jews. This protection was achieved by acting on the feelings of compassion and tolerance, which have an important place in the cultural values of the Turks. As a matter of fact, one of the foundations of the Turkish state tradition is the principle of helping and protecting individuals or communities in need, regardless of race or religion.
Atatürk University, History Department Lecturer Assoc.Prof.Dr.Savaş Eğilmez
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