Deputy Prime Minister and Government Spokesman Bulent Arinc referred to Edirne Synagogue issue at the press conference after the Cabinet Meeting, this week. Arinc noted that in Turkey, nobody’s religious exercise will be inhibited. He also recalled that they have assured Turkish Jewish Community of this fact in the past and they are assuring them also, today.
November 27, 2014
Arinc said, “We condemn and disapprove the atrocities occurring at other places. However, we cannot give our Jewish citizens here or the Jews in general the evil eye because there are atrocities over there. ‘You did that there, we’ll close down the synagogue here or prevent you from worshipping.’ This is an outdated opinion. Although some people acclaim these opinions, of course, we always say it’s wrong.
I say this to the leader of the Turkish Jewish Community Mr. Ishak Ibrahimzadeh and Chief Rabbi Haleva as a friend who today and in the past provided assurance for this. If you look at our Governor’s statement plainly –I’m aware that he apologized and gave a statement- he said that they are committing an atrocity, there and we are renovating these, here. However, when expressing this, he probably used some exorbitant sentences –which are impossible to approve- mixed with his sentimentality and the result was a bad opinion. I find our Governor’s latter explanation sufficient. Nobody should think we are giving up on our assurance. The followers of that religion will pray in that synagogue.(…) We will not shut down any place of worship or prevent them from functioning properly.”
