Istanbul attacks may strengthen Jewish, Turkish ties

istanbul | The recent bombings of two Istanbul synagogues won't end the tradition of openness in Turkey's Jewish community — and it could even make the community more cohesive, leaders say.

At the same time, the attacks are unlikely to force Turkey to retreat from its alliances with Israel and the United States, according to analysts. It could even push the secular state away from the Muslim world and further toward the West.

Standing Sunday, Nov. 16 near the entrance to the rubble-strewn street that leads to Istanbul's bombed Neve Shalom synagogue, a leader of Turkey's Jewish community looked out on the scene of destruction illuminated by the glow of police investigators' emergency lights and television spotlights.

Only a few months before, the community had opened synagogue doors in Istanbul's Galata District as part of an annual Europe-wide day celebrating Jewish culture. There were musical performances in Ladino and photo exhibits inside the different synagogues. Overflow crowds — mostly non-Jews — turned out for the events.

Despite the security concerns brought on by the Saturday, Nov. 15 nearly simultaneous bombings of Neve Shalom and of the Beit Israel synagogue, located several miles away, the community will put on the same program next year, the leader said.

"We patch our wounds and go on," said Lina Filiba, the community's executive vice president. "We want life to continue like before. The synagogues have to stay open. Life has to go on."

A group linked to al-Qaida has claimed responsibility for Saturday's attacks. Given the sophistication of the bombings, Turkish and Israeli officials are inclined to believe the claim.

The bombings killed 24 and injured more than 300 people. At least six Jews were killed and some 60 Jews injured.

If al-Qaida indeed is involved, it may be difficult for the Jewish community — and Turkey itself — to return to life as it was before.

"The big question mark is, who did it and who were their local collaborators?" said Rifat Bali, a Jewish historian who has written extensively about Turkey's Jews. "For sure there were local collaborators, and that makes it much worse. That means you have a nucleus of local terrorists who are targeting you and who are here permanently."

In recent years, the normally insular community has started reaching out to the general public and making itself more accessible. The process began with the mostly Sephardi community's celebrations in 1992 to mark the Jews' arrival in Turkey from Spain 500 years before.

For many community leaders, the standing-room-only crowds at the recent Jewish cultural events were another sign that the new policy was having a positive impact on Jewish life in Turkey.

But the synagogue bombings may put a halt to the Jewish community's openness, Bali said.

"We were expecting something like this, we just didn't know when it would happen," he said. "Now it happened, and we're wondering what will happen next."

As the community contemplates the road ahead, the government is confronting what could be a stark new reality for Turkey.

Sami Kohen, a political analyst and veteran columnist with the Turkish daily Milliyet, said the attacks could push Turkey toward closer cooperation with the United States and Israel in the fight against terrorism.

"Turkey is now included in the war-on-terror front," Kohen said. If the bombers wanted "to force Turkey to change course, to take a cooler attitude toward Israel or the West, that's not going to happen."

Israeli intelligence and explosives experts joined Turkish officials Sunday in investigating the bombings. Also on Sunday, Israel's foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, paid a visit to the two devastated synagogues, laying wreaths of chrysanthemums in the rubble.

As investigators continue to sift through the rubble, Turkish analysts said the two bombings could have significant domestic implications for Turkey.

Turkey is ruled by the Justice and Development Party, known as AKP, a new political party that traces its roots to Turkey's political Islamic movement. Party leaders have distanced themselves from their Islamist past, but the country's entrenched secular establishment has remained suspicious of them.

Milliyet's Kohen said that if Turkey finds out that foreign terrorist groups had made inroads in the country and found local recruits, the reaction would be swift.

"The Turks are quite determined on one thing, and that is the fight against terrorism," Kohen said. "The Turkish government, any Turkish government, is not going to yield to pressure when it comes to terrorism. If anything, it would strengthen its resolve.'