The Politics of Turkey During the Holocaust

1 J. M.G. ROBERTSON GLOBAL CTR. FOR L. & PUB. POL’Y 85 (2015)

M.G. Robertson Global Centre for Law & Public Policy Research Paper No. 15-6

43 Pages Posted: 25 Jan 2016 Last revised: 9 Nov 2018

See all articles by Stuart Roth

Stuart Roth

American Center for Law and Justice; M.G. Robertson Global Centre for Law & Policy

Date Written: January 21, 2016

Abstract

The Politics of Turkey During the Holocaust takes as its point of departure, the systematic destruction of European Jewry during the Holocaust. The methodological murder of six million Jews was perpetrated not only by the Germans, but with the collaboration of numerous countries that served as direct or indirect accomplices to genocide. Turkey, by way of contrast with England, the United States, and others, played a crucial role in rescuing Jews through the efforts of its embassies and also served as an uneasy escape route to Palestine due to its geographic proximity. To be sure, Turkish efforts did not represent a coherent, organised government effort to rescue or repatriate Jews, but, nonetheless, the humanitarian efforts of individual diplomats in saving Jews should be acknowledged. This paper supplies essential background on the history of the Jews in the Ottoman Empire, and Turkey’s startling turn toward “Turkification”, which produced profoundly adverse effects on the nation’s Jewish population. This move can be contrasted with Turkey’s decision, a decade or so later, to invite Jewish scholars from Germany and Austria during World War II to resettle in the country. This article also shows how Turkey resisted the strenuous efforts by Germany to stir up Anti-Semitism in Turkey. Taken together, this paper shows that Turkey’s efforts, whilst not heroic, stand in stark contrast to American Anti-Semitism and Britain’s policy aimed at appeasing the Arab population in Palestine. Despite Turkey’s efforts, it is clear that Turkey could have done more.

Keywords: Turkey, Third Reich, holocaust, Ottoman Empire, Palestine, “Turkification”, Nuremberg laws, anti-Semitism, British White Paper

Suggested Citation

Roth, Stuart, The Politics of Turkey During the Holocaust (January 21, 2016). 1 J. M.G. ROBERTSON GLOBAL CTR. FOR L. & PUB. POL’Y 85 (2015), M.G. Robertson Global Centre for Law & Public Policy Research Paper No. 15-6, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2719992

Stuart Roth (Contact Author)

American Center for Law and Justice ( email )

P.O. Box 90555
DC 20090-0555
United States

M.G. Robertson Global Centre for Law & Policy

Belsyre Court, 57 Woodstock Road
Oxford 0X2 6HJ
United Kingdom

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