So says Namik Tan, Turkey’s ambassador to the United States. Namik Tan might want to consider:
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Why Hitler’s Mein Kampf became a best-seller in Turkey just a few years ago;
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Why his prime minister’s wife endorsed a film that depicted Jewish blood libel; and
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Why his prime minister and president endorsed newspapers in which Jewish conspiracies pass as “news” on a weekly basis.
Turkey has an anti-Semitism problem — and, for that matter, an anti-Americanism problem. These problems are not spontaneous, but rather a deliberate result of the religious and national incitement promoted by the government Namik Tan represents. It is less safe for Jews, regardless of nationality, to travel in Turkey than in many Arab states, and Americans should take care in once-safe cities like Istanbul and Ankara. Namik Tan’s statements are simply lipstick on a pig. The Obama administration may embrace pig lipstick, on this issue and many others, but congressmen of both parties are increasingly recognizing the reality of Turkey.