Turkey has held its first-ever public ceremony commemorating the Holocaust at Istanbul’s biggest synagogue.
Members of Turkey’s foreign ministry were present along with the Mayor of Istanbul who sat next to Chief Rabbi Rav Isak Haleva. The ceremony was held as part of the UN General Assembly’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The global day of commemoration was established on Jan. 27 by the United Nations in 2005.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s message at the ceremony stated ;“It is natural result of our culture
of living together to share the pain that the Jewish community experienced in the past, as this reflects our tolerance for each other as a state and community.They Jewish people are part of our community and will remain as such.”
Photo: ESI