A number of rabbis met today (Wednesday) with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at his palace in Ankara, and discussed with him a number of issues related to Jewish life in the country and around the world.
The meeting was attended by many rabbis, led by Russia's Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Berl Lazar.
The person who was supposed to arrive was also the Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, who was eventually forced not to arrive because Turkey is a red state.
The rabbis discussed with Erdogan and then ate a sumptuous dinner.
According to the organizers of the meeting, this is the first time that a strictly kosher meal is served in Erdogan's palace.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accepted a delegation of the Turkish Jewish community, the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, Chief Rabbi Lazar of Russia, tonight at Ankara. @ Tcbestepe @tyahuditoplumu pic.twitter.com/0DyfT5xxj7
- Alliance Rabbis Islamic States (@RabbisAlliance) December 22, 2021
Rabbis who attended the meeting said Erdogan received them warmly, spoke clearly about the fight against anti-Semitism and stressed that he would fight it just as he fought Islamophobia, and even mentioned that Turkey had signed a treaty against Holocaust denial and said it would strengthen Turkish education on the Holocaust.
Erdogan even surprised when he promised to approve the construction, for the first time ever, of a synagogue in northern Cyprus - a territory occupied by Turkey a few decades ago, unrecognized by world nations and having Chabad activities. The Turkish president even stepped in when he said he hoped The synagogue will be inaugurated in about a year. Today there is an improvised and semi-secret prayer house in the Chabad house in the Turkish half of the island, and now the Turkish president has promised to take active action to establish a synagogue there.
According to Erdogan, "Relations between Turkey, Jews and Israel will always be strong. I hope for a peace of justice and faith between Israel and the Palestinians. A peace in which everyone will respect each other. The economic relations between Israel and Turkey are stronger than ever and they will only get stronger."
Turkish President Erdogan misses rabbis in his office, Photo: betty Mazalto and Erdogan's Twitter
The rabbis who met came to Turkey for a unique and first-ever summit meeting for all rabbis in Muslim countries as part of the 'Rabbinical Conference in Islamic States', which is held under the auspices of Turkey's Chief Rabbi Rabbi Yitzchak Haliba.
In this context, the rabbis discuss a variety of relevant issues - halakhic, communal and gothic, as well as the new opportunities for strengthening and prospering Jewish life throughout the Muslim world.
Rabbi Mendi Hitrik, the organization's founder and rabbi of the Ashkenazi community in Turkey, who was responsible for the visit and arrival of the rabbis in the country, admitted at a meeting with Erdogan that Turkey is a symbol of Jewish-Muslim relations and that rabbis expect to develop these ties.
"The rabbis left the meeting feeling very good and were happy to hear from President Erdogan that he would work to strengthen Judaism in Islamic countries," he said.
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