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Turkey Halts Expulsions of Refugees

February 2, 1939
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The Government today cancelled expulsion orders against a number of Jewish families of German and Austrian nationality and ordered an investigation into every case of foreign Jews already expelled. The action followed an appeal to the Interior Ministry.

At the same time, Premier Refik Saygam issued to the press the following declaration on the Jewish question: “There is not and never will be a Jewish question in Turkey. We cannot allow mass immigration of persecuted Jews, but Jewish specialists of foreign nationalities may be allowed to bring their close relatives to stay until the expiration of their contracts. Turkish Jews, as far as the Government is concerned, are Turks, not Jews. Their faith does not impair their full rights as Turkish citizens, conferred by the constitutional charter, which is part of the secular republic and does not discriminate between races and religions.”

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