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Moslem
Turkey
FRIEND OF ISRAEL
bv DAVID HOROWITZ
A WUP Special Feature
With the constant UAR threat
against Israel, with the bitter ani
mosity which the other neighbor
ing Arab countries are displaying
day in and day out, it is hearten
ing. to know that the ever-pro
gressing little Jewish State can
count on at least one loyal friend
not so far away to the north—-
Turkey.
The importance of this friend
ship lies in the significant fact
that this friend, bordering Syria
and Iraq—the two rather unstable
states in the Nasser union—is a
Moslem country. This, apparently,
was one of the main reasons that
had prompted an enraged Nasser
to break off relations with An
kara.
Many people who have never
visited Turkey seem to think that
because the people in the nation
are predominantly Moslem they
are like any other people in the
Arab world—fanatical, hot-head
ed, backward and feudal. Nothing
of the sort. The Turkish people,
in spirit, in outlook and in every
other way are totally different
from the Arab Moslems.
Credit for this enlightening
state must go to the founder of
modern Turkey — the renowned
Kemal Ataturk who is looked
upon and venerated by the Turks
as the George Washington of the
nation.
Following a three-week visit to
Israel recently, the writer spent
a most happy and instructive
week in Turkey. What he dis
covered there was a revelation.
The people especially impressed
him. They are very much like
the Israelis: friendly, progressive,
industrious, lovers of music, art,
culture and, above all, very in
genious about their educational
system.
Like the Israelis, the Turks,
happy-go-lucky in outlook, bear
no traits of arrogance which mark
so many other people on the
world scene. Plain folk, they are
down to earth, highly sensitive
and intelligent, but as hospitable
a people as this writer has found
anywhere in his travels.
Many people speak of Israel as
the miracle of the 20th century—
and they are not wrong. Reborn
Israel is a miracle. But so also
the new Turkey. Kemal Ataturk
and his faithful handful of fol
lowers, recognizing the ills of the
old Ottoman Empire as it lay
prostrate and defeated and cut
up at the close of World War I,
brought about a revolution that
completely transformed the na
tion. It was an act of great hero
ism and sacrifice on their part.
For they had to battle internal
as well as external enemies.
This correspondent was privi
leged to see the result of Ata-
turks heroism and that of his
followers and he must say that
it is not much unlike the heroism
displayed by the founders of
modern Israel in their struggle
for independence. Here, then
Turkey and Israel have a basic
thing in common.
Like Israel, Turkey is busily
occupied with the building of new
homes, hotels and industrious cen
ters in all its leading cities. All
around Istanbul, like around Tel
Aviv, new suburbs like the “Le
vant” and the “Atakoy” districts,
are rising. The apartment build
ings greatly resemble those seen
in Israel. Indeed, the Israeli in
fluence is definitely there, and
no wonder: Israel’s construction
firm of Solel Boneh has function
ed in Turkey for several years.
It was this new Turkey that
captivated the writer who, in the
course of .the week’s visit, suc
ceeded in meeting not only vari
ous government officials, such as
the Governor and the Mayor of
Istanbul, Niyazi Aki and Neodet
Ugur, respectively — two typical
disciples of Ataturk who symbol
ize the new Turkey—but also in
mingling with the people in every
strata of life and visiting institu
tions of learning, art, culture, and
touring industrious firms, movie
studios, entertainment and resort
areas of which Turkey is noted.
The jewel city of Istanbul —
built on seven hills and embrac
ing the lovely Bosphorus, which
gleams like a beautiful silver
ribbon between Lake Marmara
and the Black Sea—is as fascinat
ing and bewitching as that other
jewel by the Carmel mount in
Israel—Haifa. Istanbul is famous
for boating and fishing and its
unique fishermen’s wharf restau
rants. As for food—it is just
fabulous. Again like in Israel, the
pig is taboo. The Turks loathe
pork or any other product related
to the swine. On the other hand,
Lamb, cooked and grilled in 3
score of different delicious ways,
is the favorite dish of the land.
In a tour of several Bohemiam-
type restaurants and night clubs,
this writer experienced a most
pleasant surprise. The floor-show
singers and musicians sang and
played several of the modern Is
raeli popular songs. One was
Hava Neranenu. The singing was
in perfect Hebrew.
Possessing so many similarities
--even in the Biblical sense, since
Turkey is part and parcel of the
ancient Bible belt—it is no won
der that the Turkish people have
become such great friends with
the Israelis in recent time. The
bond is both economic and politi
cal, technical and cultural.
As we stated previously, it was
as a result of this closely-knit
friendship that Gamal Abdel Nas
ser broke off relations with An
kara. But the Turkish people—
who more than any other nation,
perhaps, know fully well the
nature and true psychology of the
Arabs with whom they had so
many dealings for generations—
are not the kind to be intimi
dated by anyone. They know that
Nasserism and his type of pseudo
socialism are but passing phases
in Mideast history and that the
Arab peoples — sooner or later
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