Ben-Eliezer: Turkey regaining its status as mediator between Israel and Syria

Very well explained. many righteous Turks like you recognixe the ills of the past. As for the Jews who lost property and served at labor camps in Askale or the 20th draft military service which also was a form of forced labor, never asked for compensation and never will. To see that today there is a large number of modern Turks who recognize the ills of the past and never repeat it is enough.

Turkey should solve its own problems! Turkey is only good to eat!

Ben Eliezer, outside is not raining - the Turks are spitting on us. Leave them alone, foreign policy is not a personal issue!!!

Using Turkey as a mediator is total lunacy. They are an integral part if the Iranian influenced group Muslim countries and the current Turkish government can't be trusted. I would be very surprised if this in fact happens.

A true story how Varlik Tax affected the Jewish Turk community can be found in New York Times issue of Feb 13,2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/world/europe/14turkey.html?pagewanted=2 Burdened with the tax, the family lost their house, furniture and business. Mr. Alaton was 15 at the time, and remembers their being left with some mattresses and a few towels. Mr. Alaton?s father went to a labor camp in eastern Turkey to work off his remaining debt, and Mr. Alaton, as the oldest boy, was forced to drop out of school to support the family. He remembers the evening his father returned home from the camp, a bent, gray-haired man who, in the dimness of an apartment without power, he mistook for a beggar. ?I looked at my sister ? we didn?t know who this man was,? he recalled. His father never recovered. He had met Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey?s founder, and strongly believed in the project of the modern republic. When the state betrayed him, he was unable to move on. Mr. Alaton, as a young man, criticized him for it, something he now regrets. ?I still have this weight on my conscience,? he said.

My learned friend, you surely know that Varlik tax was not "income tax". It was a discriminatory Apartheid tax levied - like in the dark ages against minorities, Jews and Christians alike. "The effect of the 1942 Varlık Vergisi ("Wealth Tax") was the greatest on non-Muslims - who still controlled the largest portion of the young republic?s wealth - even though in principle it was directed against all wealthy Turkish citizens. The "wealth tax" is still remembered as the "catastrophe" among the non-Muslims of Turkey and it had probably the most detrimental effect on the numbers of the Jewish community. Many people unable to pay the taxes were sent to labor camps and about 30,000 Jews emigrated.[1] The tax was seen as a racist attempt to diminish the economic power of minorities in Turkey.[2] 1.Faik Okte; The tragedy of the Turkish Capital Tax. Kent 1987 2.Ask Ishak Alaton about his family's tragedy, father being sent to "labor camps" in Askale from where many Jews did not return.

Turkey is Israels Trojan Horse. No less, no more!

turkey is aturkey and no longer to be trusted on anything hypocrisy reigns , kurds and cypriots need a mediator urgently why not israel ??

yes, exacyly NO Golan back and NO Jerusalem. no way.

Goes to show your level of judgement. Turkey is the only honest broker Israel and Syria are ever going to have.

You wrote: "The Turks do understand much better the needs in the middle east than any western country because it was part of their rule for centuries" and this is exactly why Israelis should be wary of the Turkish involvement.

The Alawis are more afraid of the Sunni majority in Syria than of Israel and the state of war helps them to maintain control over Syria. No matter what Israel does, Assad won't deliver real peace, even the cold one like the one Israel has with Egypt.

Erdogan made it clear he believes Muslims are always right & non-Muslims wrong, but if he's so eager to provide a place in Ankara for Israelis to talk to Syrians, and as long as Israel doesn't let Turks have any influence over these talks, it's OK.

It is obvious that neither Syria nor any of the other Arab League countries is ready for an honest peace with Israel. When they are ready they will be eager to negotiate directly without preconditions, like Egypt under Sadat. The Syrian dictator wants Israeli land, not peace.

Israel will never willingly give up the Golan in spite of the teasing announcements they sometimes make. Syria will never make peace with Israel unless the Golan is returned. These are the two immovable positions. Both sides like to talk about talking about peace in order to improve their resume with America and the EU. It will never go beyond talk.

Dear, Let me put it simple, If one comes and kicks you and your family out of your house in NY then he claims that it belongs to the rightfull indian people, I am sure you will do every step to get your house back. As a muslim and turkish I have never ever have expirienced any bad feeling against the jews, one can't deny how the muslim world is looking towards IL after being confronted with live images in their living rooms from WB and Gaza,(sure they don't show them on the Fox news). As to the Varlik Vergisi the turkish low gave you the possibility to became wealthy without any discremination and as her citizen you are obliged to pay tax on your income,(gues you pay your taxes in US) I would say.

It is good to start peace talks again. It is long overdue. However this Turkish government under the AKP and Erdogan should not be the mediators. A country such as Hungary could be a better choice. By allowing the current Erdogan government to mediate Israel (and probably USA also who may be supporting this) are making the mistake of emboldening this Trojan horse AKP in Turkey and in the ME. There are many modern secular Turks who do not want that. Just like the modern Iranians who suffer in under the Mullah rule they are afraid that emboldening Erdogan eventually will lead to a similar regime in Turkey. It is time for USA and Israel to understand the Turkish realities and start supporting the modern Turks to gain control. Erdogan once said that democracy is a bus and when they reach their destination they will get off that bus. How can one trust such an ideology?

you wrote: The neighboring counries have nothing against the Jews as they have shown it in the past history 1. 1948 Arabs rejected the UN partition plan attacked israel to destroy. 2. Attacks continues in 1950ies. 3. 1967 Syria Egypt Jordan attacked Israel. Their leaders promised to meet at Tel Aviv in a few days. They lost 4. Egypt attacked Israel in 1973 and lost Sinai. Later Anwar Sadat made peace. Unfortunately there are no Sadats in the Arab world ever since. 5. Today Iran's leader is saying that he wants to wipe out Israel from the map. I know that you will tell me you did not say against israel (which you probably call it Zionist entity) but agasinst Jews. Then let me tell you that Arabs kicked out Jews from their lands even before there was Israel. Even secular Turkey passed Varlik Vergisi and confiscated all belongings from Jews up to their pots and pans. My family lost all property and great unle sent to labor camp in Ashkale.

Syria witnessed Libya "coming clean" and it wants to do the same. The benfits are : Hamas and Hezbelloah will change( their support and supply lines will change.) Also, another way to talk with crazy Iran and try to bring them under control. Economic prosperity for the region. Negative: Israel must follow the Law and return the Golan. make peace...

Dear, It is time for Israel to accept that wars are not guaranty to her future in the middle east. The region is transforming dynamicaly and the countries are building their weapon stockpiles. Only one single way is guaranty for IL future to accept peace by negotiations and let her children travel and trade freley be it in Damascus, Beirut, Amman or Teheran. The neighboring counries have nothing against the Jews as they have shown it in the past history. The Turks do understand much better the needs in the middle east than any western country because it was part of their rule for centuries I wwould say.

What is the purpose of peace talks when Syria will not stop transferring arms from Iran to Hezbollah, attempt to build a nuclear bomb, not agree to demilitarize the Golan, and remain the headquarters of Hamas. How can Turkey, ruled by an Islamic Political Party that is trying to overthrow Secular Turkish Society mediate this...insane.

What is the purpose of peace talks when we know Israel will not willingly withdraw from the Golan Heights?