Governor offers ‘apology’ to Turkey’s Chief Rabbi over synagogue controversy
The governor accused of inciting hatred toward Turkeyâs Jewish community has offered an âapologyâ to the countryâs Chief Rabbi, claiming that his proposal to turn a synagogue into a museum as a reprisal for Israelâs policies over Jerusalemâs Al-Aqsa Mosque âhad no connectionâ to the Turkish Jewish community.
Dursun Ali Åahin, the governor of the northwestern province of Edirne, sparked an outcry when he said on Nov. 21 that the Büyük Sinagog (the Great Synagogue), built in 1907 under Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, should only be used as a museum.
Åahin called Turkeyâs Chief Rabbi Ishak Haleva on Nov. 24 to offer an âapologyâ for his remarks, but also expressed his âprofound sadnessâ that they were misunderstood and âdistorted,â the office of the chief rabbi said in a statement released late on Nov. 24.
Around the same time as the statement was released, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said the governor had made a âmistakeâ and assured that the synagogue, the second biggest in Europe, would not lose its status.
âWhile restoring the synagogue, one cannot think about taking away its function as a place of worship,â Arınç told reporters at a press conference after the weekly Cabinet meeting on Nov. 24.
âThe governor made a mistake. I respect and appreciate him. He acted emotionally. We condemn the atrocities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but we cannot look at the Jews here with an evil eye,â he added.
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