Turkey, under the Angora government. is becoming a hotbed of anti-Semitism, according to reports to the London “Jewish Chronicle”, which declare that Jews are being prohibited from traveling about the country. Those Turkish Jews who do leave, says the Chroicle, are forbidden to return to their native towns.
Jews are also being forced to close their places of business on Friday, the Moslem Sabbath. Synagogues in several of the towns were plastered with anti-Semitic signs, and in Brus, Jewish tradesmen were compelled to return merchandise which they had paid for to the Turkish sellers.
Politically too, the report says, Jews in Turkey are worse situated than under the old Turkish regime. There is at present no Jewish representative in the Angora Parliament.
The ban on Jewish participation in the market fairs of Adrianople, was lifted only when the peasant farmers themselves complained that they and not the Jews would suffer from the ban.
The wave of persecution has led to the exodous of many Jews from some of the principal towns of Turkey, particularly Smyrna.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.