Erdogan wishes happy Passover to the Jewish community in Turkey

"During the holidays, I would like to congratulate all the Jews, especially the Jewish citizens of Turkey, with whom we live in peace from the bottom of our hearts."

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets the audience during a ceremony to mark the 16th anniversary of his ruling AK Party’s foundation in Ankara, August 14. (photo credit: UMIT BEKTAS / REUTERS)
TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets the audience during a ceremony to mark the 16th anniversary of his ruling AK Party’s foundation in Ankara, August 14.
(photo credit: UMIT BEKTAS / REUTERS)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wished the Jewish community in Turkey a Passover.
"Our social structure, based on respect and tolerance for all religious beliefs, also combines love and respect for our differences," Erdogan wrote in an official letter to the community. "This is the basis for unity and solidarity in our society."
Erdogan also wrote that "During the holidays, I would like to congratulate all the Jews, especially the Jewish citizens of Turkey, with whom we live in peace from the bottom of our hearts."
The Jewish community in Turkey was once dominant and influential in the country. At the beginning of the 19th century, the community numbered over a quarter of a million people, but nowadays the community has less than 20,000 Jews and is less than 0.1% of the entire Turkish population.