Eighty-six Turkish Jews left here this morning for Haifa aboard the S. S. Marmara, of the Turkish Maritime Lines. Last month, 250 Jews emigrated. Many others are expected to start soon, having postponed their departure until after the Passover holidays.
Since the beginning of this year, all El Al Israel airline planes leaving Turkey have been booking heavy Jewish emigration traffic. Merchants have closed or sold their businesses, and those who have owned property have liquidated their holdings, leaving or preparing to leave for Israel with their families.
The departure of the S. S. Marmara was the first of a ship going directly from this country from Israel, the government having cancelled all such traffic last fall after Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula, Most Jews who are leaving say they are emigrating because business conditions in this country have deteriorated.
Many Turkish Jews are planning to go to Israel to look over the situation there first, before taking their families. A private steamship that has arranged a tour of Israel for next month, in connection with Israel’s celebration of its ninth anniversary, has announced that all its tourist and cabin facilities are booked solidly.
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