Jewish Perspectives on the Republic of Turkey: Past and Present

Session Submission Type: Lightning Session

Abstract

The current session delves into varied Jewish perspectives on the Republic of Turkey, spanning from its inception following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in 1923 to the present day. Drawing upon disciplines such as social sciences, history, and comparative literature, the session primarily relies on sources in Turkish, Ladino, and Hebrew. It aligns with communal narratives prevalent among Turkish Jews and their diasporas, which have recently undergone diversification, notably evidenced in popular media such as the Netflix series “The Club,” which portrays the lives of Turkish Jews and other minorities, both ethnic and sexual, during the 1950s and 1960s.
In addition to Jewish perspectives on Turkey, several presentations in this session explore Turkish viewpoints on Jews during the Cold War era and in contemporary Turkey, thereby offering a nuanced depiction of the intricate interplay among Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Turks. Consequently, this session substantially reflects the current state of the field and hints at potential future research trajectories.
Comprising seven presentations, the session covers a range of topics. Eilat elucidates how Israel and Turkey share commonalities in their genesis, emerging from analogous processes that entailed the violent expulsion of Muslims and Jews from Eastern and Central Europe, the Balkans, and Central Asia. Almas analyzes the ironic rise in cultural presence and visibility of Turkey’s Jewish community despite its diminishing size, attributed to the “heritage industry”. Karkason and Moreno delves into the mid-twentieth century Turkish Jewish diaspora, elucidating its impact on broader diaspora dynamics and its nuanced view of Turkey amidst migration shifts. Ben-Aharon examines Israel’s alignment with Turkey on the Armenian genocide, shaping Middle East geopolitics; he analyzes Turkish Jewish elite influence on US policy. Rosenberg analyzes the rise of anti-Jewish discourse within a prominent Turkish-Islamist movement during the 1990s, arguing that it reflects a strategic alignment with the West rather than merely a residue of anti-Western sentiment. Kaymak explores how Turkish Jews navigate their Turkish/Jewish identity across public, political, and private spheres as a minority group. Erol explores the Ladino terms “Kayades” (silence) and “Avlaremoz” (Let’s Talk), reflecting historical realities and ruptures in Turkish-Jewish identity.

Sub Unit

• Sephardi/Mizrahi Studies

Chair

• Yaron Ayalon, College of Charleston

Individual Presentations

• Turkey and Israel: Motherlands of Two Collapsed Diasporas and One Lost Kinship - Omri Eilat, University of Haifa

• Jewish Memories of Modern Istanbul: Between Longing and Belonging - Esra Almas, Bilkent Universitesi

• Reevaluating Turkish Transnationalism: Insights from the Israeli Context - Tamir Karkason, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg; Aviad Moreno, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

• The Role of Sub-State Actors: Turkish Jewish Elite and Israel’s Alignment with Turkey’s Denial of the Armenian Genocide (1970s-1980s) - Eldad Ben Aharon, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)

• 5. The Millî Görüş Movement’s discourse on Jews (and Christians) - Uri Rosenberg

• Turkish Jews in Contemporary Turkey: Daily Life Practices in Public, Private and Political Sphere - özgür kaymak, MEF University

• Knowledge On the Move: Turkey Rooted Jews in Israel - Adem Muzaffer Erol, Universität Potsdam

Zoom Host

• Zoom Host 18