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Harel Bet Yitzhak
Have your views on Turkey changed since the Marmara incident?
Absolutely
What were your views before and what are they...
Before my views were...
Because I am half Turkish
I had a special place in my heart for Turkey
Because the leadership there changed
and became anti-semitic
in such an insane way
Anti-semitic
Not anti-Israeli
They swear they are anti-Israeli
But they are 100% anti-semitic
I took it very very hard
A few years ago when there was an earthquake in Turkey
I helped organize donations to Turkish relief
equipment, blankets, stuff like that
and we sent it to Turkey
with love for Turkey
but that was the Turkey that existed then
but not these racists Erdoğan and Davutoglu
and I think the situation for the Jews in Turkey
is becoming harder and harder
It is not just the issue of what happened with the Mavi Marmara
In general, everything that is happening in Turkey is very bad
Why do you think it is not anti-Israeli but anti-semitism?
Why do you think that?
They will say it is not true
Because...
What the government in Turkey is doing
proves it
They every so often try to say that they are not anti-semitic
But the truth is that the situation for Jews in Turkey today is very hard
You can ask people who work here (Tel Aviv University)
and they will tell you about their families who live in Turkey
and how hard it is now
Can you give an example?
A friend of mine here
his father is a business man in Turkey
and his business has really been hurt
since the Erdogan government came into power
He had to sell part of his business
to Turkish non-Jews
to hide the fact that it is a Jewish business
so people would think it is a "kosher" Turkish business
The business was hurt totally
Also there is a lot of open anti-semitism
over the past...
Last summer there were...
terrible things happened in Turkey
synagogues (attacked)
anti-semitic statements from people in the government
related to the government
Real anti-semitism
Have your views of Turkey changed since the Mavi Marmara incident?
No, not at all
Yaron Ness Ziona
What are your views?
I really like Turkey
I think it is a very beautiful culture
I think that like all places there are people who are...
less connected to Israel some who are more
I visited Turkey once and I really enjoyed
Hey, how's it going?
I am famous
What else?
Would you visit now?
Yes for sure
I almost went there.. You aren't afraid?
I almost went to Istanbul in the summer but went somewhere else instead
I was supposed to be there four days
So you are not afraid to go there now? No, not at all
Shani Beer Sheva
It's bad
It's terrible
It's not just in Turkey It is all over the Islamic and Arabic world
and I feel it is unfortunate for them that they cannot live in freedom
They cannot live their own lives
Someone always has to tell them what to do
and it is just getting more radical
So it's unfortunate
How does that link to what happened with the ship?
With the Marmara?
It's all... This whole world is getting radical
violent, radical
violent, it's bad
and it's all together
Someone always puts the blame on someone else
instead of fixing the problem
I believe it is all the Shia and Sunni
fight
It's getting more extreme every year
It is all over the world
and all over the Islamic world
and they are just looking to put the blame on someone
So they are putting the blame on Israel
Of course, that is easy
on the Jews
So it is the Jews
It explains the anti-semitism all around the world
also from many years ago
thousand years of anti-semitic problems (in the Muslim world)
It's easier to put the blame on someone
What's interest is
in Egypt and in Jordan where we have peace agreements
we don't have these
we don't have this problem (of anti-semitism)
We don't find it
If it grows, someone puts it down
because they understand that the Jews are not the problem
that Israel is not the problem
They live their lives at peace with us
so they don't put the blame on us
This is how we can get an idea
how to live your life without putting blame on others
Are you angry at the Turkish people?
I am angry at all the radicals that have those crazy ideas
It's an idea
that penetrates into people who suffer
people who have a hard life
and it's easy to penetrate into their heads
this is how they use it
So you think most Turkish people agree with sending the Marmara ...
I don't think all of them agree
to send the Marmara
I think it is radicals
a group of radicals
that control the opinions of others
and I believe that each person
in his own mind wants peace
wants to live in peace
wants to live peacefully
with nice
with a way to afford himself a normal life
but radicals always take
the loud voice
always their voice is loudest
I don't think all the Turkish are bad
or all the Turkish want to do harm to someone
I think the radicals take a big part of it
Yoav Ramat Gan
Have your views of Turkey changed since the incident with the Marmara?
Yes , they changed
I used to travel to Turkey
two or three times a year on vacation
I haven't been there in four or five years
Why?
Because of all the anti-semitism
and hate
Because you are afraid they will do something to you or...
Both
Because you are against and because...
I am afraid. They look at you with hate
I know they want to make money from us
I won't give money to someone who gives me dirty looks and hates me
He may stab me in the back
Are you angry at the Turkish people?
The Turkish people?
No, I am not angry at them
I think most of the Turkish people
are good
The extremism there is very high
The minority, I don't call it a minority
because the majority of the Turks voted for Erdoğan
The majority in Turkey hate us
What is your background? Persian
Omri Tel Aviv
Since the incident with the Marmara have your views of Turkey changed?
No
To the left they may have changed
Why?
What do you mean by "left"?
By left, I am thinking the behaviour of Israel
only causes more boycotts
I thought it back then I see the proof now
So you see Israel as being more guilty (than Turkey)
No
It is not an issue of what happened
I am saying it is an outcome of
it is one of the outcomes
It's not that Turkey was very nice
I don't like Turkey They are a dictatorship
and not a very nice one
But what happened is
it was one of the signs of behaviour
Israel's behaviour
a consequence
Shachar Tel Aviv
Have your views of Turkey changed since the incident with the Marmara?
Yes
What were they and what are they now?
I didn't have a...
a strong opinion
even now I am not
my views didn't change that much
But now Turkey is for me a country that is
Let's say it is...
hostile to us
Since the incident, I would not think of traveling there
on vacation
Before would you consider going?
Yes
Now it is a security concern
Now no
you are simply afraid? Exactly
Sarah Kiriat Shmona
SInce the Marmara, have your views of Turkey changed?
I didn't think about it
I don't think about Turkey much
Not back then and not now?
Right
Eitan Tel Aviv
Since the Marmara incident, have your views of Turkey changed?
My views of Turkey weren't that high even before
Why?
Do you mean Turkey the country? The people of Turkey?
It is split into two
First the government and then the people
Turkey as a country is amazing
The people that I met there were really really nice
You were in Turkey?
Yes, a few times
Their leadership is a little
one sided in a problematic way
Can you explain a bit?
From the perspective that it is difficult to guess what are their motives
What they do in reality
is protect one side in a blind way
The Palestinians?
Of course
Palestinians
That's it
Did you think this before the Marmara incident?
In general yes
Natalie Ramat Gan
Since the Marmara incident have your views of Turkey changed?
Yes, very much
What were they? What are they now?
Before there were very good relations
there was something very clean both in the politics
and tourism to there It was very positive
After the incident with the Marmara Turkey is connected to something difficult
and difficult political relations between us
and they suddenly became hostile
No one wants to go there
Would you go there?
I think it will take me a few years
until I can travel there
Do you think it is just the government or also the Turkish people?
I think it is mostly the government
I assume the people there were hurt by the drop in tourism
We were big consumers there
We supported them very well
they also suffered because of this
But I think that a large part of the people
are influenced by the politics and are acting politically (against Israel)
To the point where they don't want to sell to Israelis
or even to Jews