Turkish authorities in the town of Mersin today scotched rumors Spread by provocateurs that Jews had infected the city’s water supply with poisonous bacteria. After an investigation police announced publicly that the rumors were false, while the local press condemned the rumor mongers.
Although many Jews in Turkey were deeply stirred by the establishment of Israel, they could not hold public demonstrations or even special religious services to celebrate the event because the government was anti-partition and expressed pro-Arab sentiment. In the Jewish press, however, news of the realization of the centuries-old dream was prominently displayed and hailed. A portion of the Turkish press has greeted the new state.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
