Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 8 2007

Israeli businessmen: We have to hide to trade in Turkey

Israeli businessmen said during a Turkey-Israel joint economic
council meeting on Wednesday that certain companies with Jewish
capital had to conceal their actual identities to operate in Turkey
because of anti-Semitic sentiment.

Turkish State Minister for Foreign Trade Kürþat Tüzmen, however,
denied this claim and said there were many Israeli companies trading
in Turkey and that discrimination against Jewish capital was out of
question.

Israeli businessmen expressed their complaints at the meeting,
attended by a Tüzmen-led delegation of Turkish businessmen.

Tüzmen responded to reporters’ questions regarding the issue during a
visit to Masjid al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock. Tüzmen stated that
Turks’ tolerance toward Jews was well known and added that Israeli
businessmen were not discriminated against. He noted that Jewish
investors had major representatives in Turkey.

`Jewish businessmen occupy a significant position in Turkey.
Discrimination against them is out of question,’ he said.

Tüzmen also noted that Israeli businessmen had expressed their
support for Turkey regarding a Armenian genocide resolution presented
to the US House of Representatives. The clout of the Jewish lobby in
the US is well known, Tüzmen said. `They expressed significant
support,’ he said.

`We are sensitive about Harem al-Sharif’

Tüzmen said while visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque that a review board
would go to Jerusalem to make assessments on construction of a bridge
at Harem al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary). He said Turkish Ambassador to
Israel Namýk Tan was the one pursuing the issue. Tüzmen underlined
the sensitivity in the Islamic world over the issue. Tüzmen also
visited the Kubbet el-Sahra Mosque and prayed there.

08.03.2007

Hüseyin Sümer Jerusalem