Turkish Consul General: Despite All Ups And Downs, Turkish - Israeli Relations Have Always Been Very Sound

NEW YORK - Turkish Consul General in New York Omer Onhon said on Friday, ''despite all ups and downs, Turkish-Israeli relations have always been very sound.''
Speaking at a dinner hosted by the UJA Federation of New York, a Jewish organization, Onhon said, ''Turkey can play an important role in the Middle East peace process as a result of its sound relations with both Israel and Palestine. Turkey and Israel having common political, strategic and economic interests, will continue acting together in the rebuilding process in the region.''
Referring to Turkish-Jewish relations, Onhon said, ''since 1492 when the Ottoman Empire sheltered Jewish people exiled from Spain, Turks have considered Jewish people their friends. Turkish diplomats saved dozens of Jewish people from being sent to concentration and extermination camps during the World War II. Also, Turkey was the first Muslim country recognizing Israel. Despite all ups and downs, Turkish-Israeli relations have always been very sound,''
Recalling that Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul visited Israel in January, Onhon said that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would pay a state visit to Israel in the coming days.
Referring to the economic and commercial relations between the two countries, Onhon said, ''our trade volume increased to 1.5 billion U.S. dollars. Turkey is the third country preferred by Israeli tourists.''
Recalling that six Turkish people of Jewish origin were killed in the suicide attacks on two synagogues in Istanbul in November of 2003, Onhon said, ''Turkey laid them to rest with coffins draped in the red crescent-and-star flag of Turkey. Any reason or case cannot justify such heinous acts of terrorism.''
''Anti-Semitism does not exist in the history of Turks, and it has no place in their future either. Turkey submitted a draft resolution to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) against anti-Semitism. Also, Turkey has always expended great efforts to remove anti-Semitic expressions in the final declarations of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC),'' he stressed.
Upon a question on Turkey's policy about Iraq, Onhon said, ''our policy has been based on protection of Iraq's territorial integrity and political unity. Turkey defends that any ethnic group in Iraq should not become dominant over the others.
Meanwhile, Michael Oshry of the UJA Federation of New York expressed gratitude of Jewish people with the determined attitude of the Turkish government following the suicide attacks in Istanbul targeting the synagogues.