The Political History of Turkish -Jewish Relations

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The history of Turkish-Jewish relations is extensive. Many Jews emigrated to the Ottoman Empire during the Spanish Inquisition and many Sephardic Jews lived under the rule of the Ottoman Empire which ruled most of the Middle East [1] [2].Many of the Jews were well educated and some were able to reach important positions in Turkish society.

[edit] Prominent Turkish Jewish Figures

Various historians such as the late Rabbi Dr. Joachim Prinz have written that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (the "father of Modern Turkey") was of Spanish Jewish Ancestry. His ancestors fled Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. In the book Prinz writes about the Jewish community of Thessalonica (now in Greece) where Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was born. [3].Many of the policies of Ataturk have supported the claims that he was Jewish such as his strong Anti-Islamic secularization program in Turkey, the conversion of the Turkish Alphabet from Arabic script to the Latin alphabet, and the end of the Caliphate.

[edit] Modern Turkish-Israeli Political Relations

Turkey was the first Islamic country to recognize the State of Israel [4]. Turkey and Israel have had a unique relationship in the Middle East. Israel has been a major supplier of arms to Turkey. Their agreements include cooperation in the "domains of air, sea, land, intelligence; and the manufacturing of aircraft, armaments and missiles," and "prepares the way for mutual military visits, training and exercises, dispatch of observers to oversee military exercises, staff exchanges and military know-how."

The strong relationship between Turkey and Israel has angered the Arabs. Turkey has attempted to maintain an image of neutrality on the topic of various Arab issues such as the Palestianian-Israeli conflict and Lebanon [5] [6].The Israeli Mossad also played a role in arresting the Kurdish leader, Abdullah Ocalan[7].

[edit] Economic Cooperation between Turkey and Israel

On January 1, 2000, Turkey and Israel signed the "Turkish Israeli free trade agreement" making it the first Muslim country to sign such as an agreement with the Jewish state [8]. Turkey and Israel signed an agreement to construct a pipeline to bring oil, natural gas, water, and electricity to Israel from Turkey [http://.www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961328841&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFul l].

[edit] Military Cooperation between Turkey and Israel

[edit] Modernization of Arms

• Modernization of Turkey's F-4 Phantoms and F-5 aircraft at a cost of $900 million.
• Upgrading 650 of Turkey's M-60 A1 tanks for $500 million.

[edit] Arms Sales

• Popeye-I and Popeye-II surface-to-air missiles.
• Arrow anti-ballistic-missiles.
• 400km (250 miles) range Delilah cruise missiles.
• 1,000 Merkava Mark III Main Battle Tanks for $5,000 million.

[edit] Common Production

• Popeye-II surface-to-air missiles for $150 million.
• Arrow anti-ballistic-missiles. (Agreed by Israel. Approval of the United States is awaited.)
• 400km (250 miles) range Delilah cruise missiles. (Negotiation)

[edit] Training

• The agreement provides exchange of pilots eight times a year; allows Israeli pilots to practice "long range flying over mountainous land" in Turkey's Konya firing range; and permits Turkish pilots to train at Israel's computerized firing range at the Nevatim airfield.(Nechmani, 1998: 24; Pipes, 1997 34)
• The two navies conducted maneuvers during Operation Reliant Mermaid (the U.S. also participated) in January 1998.

[edit] Intelligence Share

• The intelligence agencies of both countries also share intelligence about terrorist groups (i.e. PKK), hostile states (i.e. Syria, Iran) and their equipments (i.e. MI-29 fighters of Syria).

[edit] External links

• Turkey's National Security Strategy by N. Cem Orekli

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