ISTANBUL - Turkey's Chief Rabbi Ishak Haleva said on Tuesday that all religions based their teachings on human love and sacredness of life, adding that ''innocent people should not be killed anymore.''
A ceremony was held in Ulus Ashkenaz Jewish cemetery and later six Jews including one Romanian citizen, who died in the bomb attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul last Saturday were buried.
Speaking in the ceremony, Haleva said that the world became smaller, the borders were lifted and no belief can be considered to be supporting or teaching terrorism in today's world.
Noting that Jews were subject to many massacres due to their religion throughout the history, Haleva said that ''today the attacks don't only target Jews. People from all religions die in these meaningless and inhuman attacks.''
''My call is to the world and all humanity:let's come together and love each other. The immortal message which great leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk gave saying 'peace in the country, peace in the world' should become valid in the whole world,'' he said.
Haleva said terrorism would not find a place to be nourished in case all the world participates in this principle as a whole body. Haleva expressed God's mercy for all those who died in the attacks, offered condolences to their families, and wished quick recovery for the injured.
Thanking to the state and security forces who protected them before and after the attacks, Haleva said they were grateful for Turkish police who were always beside them.
Haleva said the ceremony had to take place in a synagogue but that the two synagogues were damaged in explosions and thanked to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the ministers, political party leaders, presidents of foreign countries and Besiktas Mayor Yusuf Namoglu who shared their sorrows.
Haleva ended his speech calling for ''Peaceful days''.
(ÖŞ-AY) 18.11.2003