“Turkey’s involvement in genocide – the first genocide of the twentieth century, it should be noted – was directed not at Jews, unfortunately, but at Armenians.”
Brussels, November 29 – Officials in the European Customs Union shared concerns today that the Republic of Turkey lacks one of the principal qualifications for the membership in the union it seeks: a certain threshold of anti-Jewish rhetoric and behavior.
Representatives of the various organs of the European Union told reporters that Turkey’s application faces rejection because while Erdogan’s administration has a hand in Syrian violence, the entry of terrorist elements into Europe, political repression, and other demonstrations of suitability for inclusion in the European community, the country’s lackluster pursuit of antisemitic policies portends ill for its membership bid.
Speaking to journalists at a press conference outside the European Parliament building, the officials acknowledged Turkey’s support for anti-Israel terrorists, but noted that such policies fall far short of the behavior expected of a European Union member in good standing.
“Harboring Hamas operatives and endorsing a run of Israel’s Gaza blockade are well and good, but, I hate to say it, lame,” admitted a French delegate. “That’s amateurish. When’s the last time Turkey had a riot that threatened the country’s Jews? That’s the kind of indication we’re looking for, and frankly, it’s nowhere to be seen.”
A German official confessed disappointment that despite Turkey having much in common with European antisemitic attitudes for much of history, recent events have shown the country’s poor performance in that regard. “Both Europe and Turkey once boasted large Jewish communities,” she noted. “And in both cases, it was during the twentieth century that the Jewish communities in both Europe and Turkey dwindled through persecution, displacement, and other factors. But Turkey’s involvement in genocide – the first genocide of the twentieth century, it should be noted – was directed not at Jews, unfortunately, but at Armenians, a largely Christian population. Contrast that with Europe, where Nazi collaborators in nearly every country facilitated industrialized murder of the Jews. The decline of Turkey’s Jewish population owes more to the establishment of Israel than anything else.”
“There’s still hope, though,” assured a Dutch official. “If Turkish NGOs apply for enough European Commission grants with the aim of demonizing Israel, combating the legitimacy of Jewish sovereignty and self-defense, there will be something to work with. For the time being, however, I don’t see the occasional recall of the Turkish ambassador in Israel as accomplishing much, and Turkey exports tons of merchandise to Israel despite the importance of BDS to European thinking. That will have to change before we can consider Turkey a viable member of the EU.”
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