Turkish Jewish Encounters

Türk Yahudi Bulusmalari

Studies on Turkish Jewish Relations Through the Ages

Tarihte Türk Yahudi Iliskileri Arastimalari


Ed. Mehmet Tütüncü
Haarlem, 2001

Published and distributed by SOTA, 2001
ISBN 90-804409-4-9

Available after 1 April 2001

approx. 350 pages, with 12 plates, documents (facsimiles), index, bibliography

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

 

Introduction

Yeryuzunde ne kadar Yahudi kovulmussa hepsi dogru Turkiyeye kosuyordu.

All The Jews of the World who have been expelled are running to Turkey
H. Dernschwam 1553-1555

From the first meeting in the start of the dark Middle ages where the Turkish Khazar Kaghans converted to Judaism into modern times Turks and Jews have enjoyed periods of remarkable close ties. These many faceted relations is the subject of  the studies in these book.

These relations were always a contrast to the experience of Jews in Western Europe. In Five Chapters of these books five facets of this relationship are explored:

1. The First Turkish Jewish meeting took place nearly 1350 years ago. When The Byzantine Empire was oppressing Jews many Jewish refugees found shelter in the Turkic Khazar Kaganate. The legendary Kingdom Of Turkic Khazars whose kings (Kagans) and a sizeable amount of people converted to Judaism and established a Turco-Judaic empire in the Middle Ages. The articles by Benjamin Braude and Peter Golden give insight in the Turkish Jewish relations during this period. Peter Golden summarizes the results of his research into the Khazars and their relationship with the Jewish religion. Benjamin Braude tries to disclose the Myths of the Turkish Jewish relations.

 

2. The Second Turkish Jewish meeting was between the Turkish people living in Crimea and Eastern Europe who had adopted the Karaite religion. These people of the Karaite confession speak a very ancient and archaic form of Turkish. They may be the remnants of the Khazar Empire. Whether the East European Jews are descended from the Khazars is subject of heated debate (see Arthur Koestler, The Thirteenth Tribe). What is for certain is that there are Turkic speaking people with "Jewish" religion, Karaites and Krymchaks in Eastern Europe. These people are nearly extinct and the research into their unique culture is part of the second part of the book. The second chapter deals with The Crimean Karaites and Krymchaks. The late Polish Karaite scholar’s book Karaim in Poland chapter on Karaim origins and history asserts that the Karaim are the inheritors of Khazars. Articles by Ananiasz Zajaczkowski covers the historical background of the Karaites of Crimea and elsewhere who are of Turkish origin. Moshe Gammer reveals an interesting French report during the Crimean war that describes the Crimean Karaites and their way of life during the 19th Century. Dan Shapira writes about a forgotten Karaim folk-song of 1792 which reveals interesting information about the folklore and habits of Karaims.

3. The third and the main part of the book deals with the Ottoman Empire and their citizens professing Judaism. This empire was a safe haven for Jews throughout its history until its end at the beginning of 20th century. In 1492 the Spanish Jews (Sefardim) were thrown out of Spain, their homeland for more than seven centuries. On March 31st the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen issued the edict of expulsion and ordered conversion of all Jews and Muslims to Christianty. Many of Jewish refugees found homes in coun­tries like Holland, France and Italy. But by far the most important group prefer­red an Isla­mic country as a refuge. Their reason for this was that  they had lived years under Isla­mic rule (Grena­da, Andalusia) where they were treated as citizens. The Jews who settled in the Ottoman lands were by far the largest of those refugees.

Ottoman-Turkish authorities welcomed the refugees and enco­uraged them to settle in Ottoman lands.  Bernard Lewis records the relation between Jews and Turks in Ottoman Empire as follows: when the Turks conquered part of Hungary in the beginning of the sixteenth century, they brought Jews from Ottoman lands and invited Hunga­rian Jews to go to Turkey.  When they left in 1686, the Jews left with them: there are records of imperial orders to protect them, ensure their safe depar­ture, and resettle them in suitable places in the Ottoman lands after the withdrawal from Hungary.  The greatest centers of Ottoman Sephardic Jewry were Istanbul, Salonika and Sarajevo.  Today only Istanbul is  within the boundaries of Turkey.

Salonika was a Turkish territory until 1912. It was an econo­mic center of the Ottoman Europe and a cultural centre of Sephar­dic Judaism. The founder of modern Turkey (Atatürk) was born there, after the loss of Salonika in 1912 to Greece, the Jews of Salonika were exterminated by Nazi forces and collaborating Greeks.

The Jews of Sarajevo were safe until 1992,but their fate seems to be the same as the Salonika and other Jews. The articles of Bulent Özdemir and Yitzchak Kerem deals with Jews of the Ottoman Empire and their lives in Salonica. Mahir Saul's article describes the development of nationalism and language at the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century in Istanbul’s Jewish population. Ali Güler and Salahi Sonyels articles are about the transition from the Ottoman Empire into Turkish Republic and the effects of this on the Jewish and Muslim Turks of the Empire and the Republic.

4. The fourth important Turco-Judaic meeting, is what can be called a reversal of the Khazarian experience: Jewish people who converted to Islam during the Ottoman times but who have preserved their secret beliefs, these called Doenmehs or converts. Sabateans or Doenmehs are very much interest in times both in Turkey as in Israel and in fields of Jewish studies. Because of the secrecy of this sect there is no much objective information about them. Instead their impact on modern Turkey and its laicist (secular) nature is alleged by many Islamists to be due to influence of Sabateans on Young Turks and Atatürk. The article by Gad Nassi for the first time deals concretely with this sect and reveals interesting information about the daily life of Sabateans. Avrum Ehrlich deals with the Sabbetaists and their impact on Modern Turkey. Also we can read today’s impact of Sabateans on Turkey and Israeli relations. Stanford Shaw elaborates Turkey’s role in rescuing Jews during the dark days of World War II.

5. The last but not the least meeting was in modern times. Antero Leitzinger shows how in the far north (Finland) Mishar-Tatars and Jewish relations were warm, friendly and mutually helpful  in dark days. It also shows how many-faceted and friendly the relations between Turks and Jews are, without any boundaries and time limits. After World War II, Turkey was first (and long time the only) Muslim country to recognize Israel. Nowadays Turkey and Israel possess a very warm relationship. Of course, there are other relations and aspects in the history; the above-mentioned are the most important ones.

Netherlands, besides Ottoman State, was the only other country giving refuge  for Jews fleeing Spanish and Portuguese oppression at the end of 15th century and later in the 17th century. The Ottoman Empire was more than a refuge: it became homeland and safe haven for Jews and other oppressed people throughout its history.

Netherlands became, in the 20th century,  a country where many Turkish peoples migrated and settled.  Our purpose in initiating this conference and the book was to inform the Turks and Jews living in Netherlands about their common history and make them aware of their relationship in the history. This book is edited and initiated by a Turkish migrant who has settled in the Netherlands. The Turkish people’s status in Europe has changed from a majority (dominant) people to a minority status. So the immigrants and guest-workers feel how it is to be a minority in a foreign country.

The collection of articles in this book grew out of an international conference held in Amsterdam on 29 March of 2000. The purpose of the conference became the name of this book. The conference was organized by SOTA and the Special Chair of Jewish studies at the University of Amsterdam. SOTA was established in 1991 to disseminate information about Turkic peoples in Western Europe and elsewhere. Its aim is to be a bridge between the Turkic peoples and the rest of the world. More information about SOTA and its activities is included in the back pages of this book. 

The speakers at this conference were Prof. Benjamin Barude, Prof. Ilber Ortayli and writer Mario Levi. Only Prof. Benjamin Barude was able to deliver his lecture in written form. This is also the first article of the book. The other articles were commissioned by the editor from various authors and experts of Judeo-Turkic Studies.

I hope that the seminar and this follow-up book will be  the first steps in the realization of this purpose.

Mehmet Tütüncü

 

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