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HITLER HONORED IN UPSCALE ISTANBUL MALL
Turkey is now not only openly hostile to the Jewish State, but also to the
Jewish people.
By: Lori Lowenthal Marcus
Published: January 15th, 2013
Hitler's poster in an Istanbul mall.
People who have been paying attention know that relations between
Israel and Turkey have been eroding, but not many realize that Turkey
is now not only openly hostile to the Jewish State, but also to the
Jewish people.
On Friday, January 11, a Turkish citizen took a picture to show
exactly how belligerent Turkey has become. The picture is of a huge
poster with the words, ~SWho Would You Like to Meet if You Could?~T
and the last name, and only photograph, is of Adolf Hitler. The other
choices include Suleiman I, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Napolean Bonaparte,
the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Vladimir Lenin, Boris Yeltsin, Leonardo
Da Vinci, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Jackson. But only Hitler
warranted a picture, a huge one at that.
According to Ege Berk Korkut, an active Turkish writer and blogger,
the sign was placed in the Sapphire Mall by the owners, a group of
Turkish businessmen who are devoted to Erdogan. Korkut explained to
The Jewish Press that the Sapphire is an ultra-upscale mall in Levent,
the wealthiest neighborhood in Istanbul. The Sapphire building is
one of the tallest buildings in Europe.
Korkut said that while a few people have complained about the banner
~V and the management has refused to remove it ~V most shoppers just
glance at it and continue shopping. Ho-hum, nothing startling or even
mildly interesting about a huge photograph of Adolf Hitler hanging
in the Turkish equivalent of Via Bellagio in Las Vegas or The Shops
at Columbus Circle in New York City.
And it is not only Israel and the Jews towards which Turkey has turned
its back.
The Iranian Ambassador to Turkey, Bahman Hussein Pour, discussed the
close and ever-increasing Iranian-Turkish relations in an article in
the January 14 MehrNews.com, an Iranian news agency.
Hussein Pour pointed out that while Western countries, ~Sespecially
the U.S.,~T have been pressuring Turkey to reduce economic relations
with Iran, ~SIran-Turkey trade volume exceeds $21b this year for the
first time.~T The Iranian Ambassador concluded that Turkish-Iranian
relations are irreversible.
In addition to the trade relations between the two countries which
has more than quadrupled since 2008, Hussein Pour also explained that
~Smore than 15 Turkish provinces have become sister provinces with
Iranian ones.~T
The timing of the statements is important, as many had predicted that
relations between the neighboring nations would deteriorate over the
violence in Syria, which also shares a border with Turkey. Turkey~Rs
President Recep Erdogan has repeatedly called on Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad to step down, while Iran is the principle backer
of the Assad regime. Nevertheless, Iran has benefited greatly from
Turkey~Rs import of Iranian oil, and Turkey has prospered from millions
of Iranian tourists. In a move that benefits both countries, hundreds
of Turkish movies have been filmed in northern Iran.
This cozy relationship has developed despite the very public love
letters President Barack Obama sent to Turkey~Rs President Recep
Erdogan. Middle East analyst Barry Rubin wrote a telling piece
in the spring about the one-sided relationship between Obama and
Erdogan. In addition to recounting Obama~Rs amorous actions towards
the leader of Turkey who has turned that giant ship away from the West
and into the harbor of the Islamist world, Rubin pointed out that
in 2010 Erdogan made a ~Sdeal with Iran that sabotaged the delicate
U.S. drive to toughen anti-Iran sanctions.~T And despite that blow
to U.S. policy and insult to Obama, the U.S. president gave Turkey
a waiver on implementing the Iranian sanctions. Rubin called it
~Sremarkable,~T others might call it alarming.
With a huge flattering photograph of Hitler hanging in the fanciest
mall in Istanbul, and Erdogan inching towards BFF status with
Ahmadinejad, perhaps it is time for this administration to rethink
putting daylight between the U.S. and Israel, and instead start
putting it between the U.S. and Turkey.
About the Author: Lori Lowenthal Marcus is the US correspondent for
The Jewish Press.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/hitler-honored-in-upscale-instanbul-mall/2013/01/15/
Turkey is now not only openly hostile to the Jewish State, but also to the
Jewish people.
By: Lori Lowenthal Marcus
Published: January 15th, 2013
Hitler's poster in an Istanbul mall.
People who have been paying attention know that relations between
Israel and Turkey have been eroding, but not many realize that Turkey
is now not only openly hostile to the Jewish State, but also to the
Jewish people.
On Friday, January 11, a Turkish citizen took a picture to show
exactly how belligerent Turkey has become. The picture is of a huge
poster with the words, ~SWho Would You Like to Meet if You Could?~T
and the last name, and only photograph, is of Adolf Hitler. The other
choices include Suleiman I, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Napolean Bonaparte,
the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Vladimir Lenin, Boris Yeltsin, Leonardo
Da Vinci, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Jackson. But only Hitler
warranted a picture, a huge one at that.
According to Ege Berk Korkut, an active Turkish writer and blogger,
the sign was placed in the Sapphire Mall by the owners, a group of
Turkish businessmen who are devoted to Erdogan. Korkut explained to
The Jewish Press that the Sapphire is an ultra-upscale mall in Levent,
the wealthiest neighborhood in Istanbul. The Sapphire building is
one of the tallest buildings in Europe.
Korkut said that while a few people have complained about the banner
~V and the management has refused to remove it ~V most shoppers just
glance at it and continue shopping. Ho-hum, nothing startling or even
mildly interesting about a huge photograph of Adolf Hitler hanging
in the Turkish equivalent of Via Bellagio in Las Vegas or The Shops
at Columbus Circle in New York City.
And it is not only Israel and the Jews towards which Turkey has turned
its back.
The Iranian Ambassador to Turkey, Bahman Hussein Pour, discussed the
close and ever-increasing Iranian-Turkish relations in an article in
the January 14 MehrNews.com, an Iranian news agency.
Hussein Pour pointed out that while Western countries, ~Sespecially
the U.S.,~T have been pressuring Turkey to reduce economic relations
with Iran, ~SIran-Turkey trade volume exceeds $21b this year for the
first time.~T The Iranian Ambassador concluded that Turkish-Iranian
relations are irreversible.
In addition to the trade relations between the two countries which
has more than quadrupled since 2008, Hussein Pour also explained that
~Smore than 15 Turkish provinces have become sister provinces with
Iranian ones.~T
The timing of the statements is important, as many had predicted that
relations between the neighboring nations would deteriorate over the
violence in Syria, which also shares a border with Turkey. Turkey~Rs
President Recep Erdogan has repeatedly called on Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad to step down, while Iran is the principle backer
of the Assad regime. Nevertheless, Iran has benefited greatly from
Turkey~Rs import of Iranian oil, and Turkey has prospered from millions
of Iranian tourists. In a move that benefits both countries, hundreds
of Turkish movies have been filmed in northern Iran.
This cozy relationship has developed despite the very public love
letters President Barack Obama sent to Turkey~Rs President Recep
Erdogan. Middle East analyst Barry Rubin wrote a telling piece
in the spring about the one-sided relationship between Obama and
Erdogan. In addition to recounting Obama~Rs amorous actions towards
the leader of Turkey who has turned that giant ship away from the West
and into the harbor of the Islamist world, Rubin pointed out that
in 2010 Erdogan made a ~Sdeal with Iran that sabotaged the delicate
U.S. drive to toughen anti-Iran sanctions.~T And despite that blow
to U.S. policy and insult to Obama, the U.S. president gave Turkey
a waiver on implementing the Iranian sanctions. Rubin called it
~Sremarkable,~T others might call it alarming.
With a huge flattering photograph of Hitler hanging in the fanciest
mall in Istanbul, and Erdogan inching towards BFF status with
Ahmadinejad, perhaps it is time for this administration to rethink
putting daylight between the U.S. and Israel, and instead start
putting it between the U.S. and Turkey.
About the Author: Lori Lowenthal Marcus is the US correspondent for
The Jewish Press.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/hitler-honored-in-upscale-instanbul-mall/2013/01/15/