Liberal Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported Sunday that religious leaders from various faiths convened in Istanbul about two-and-a-half weeks ago to discuss the status of the city's non-Muslim residents, including Jews.
The representatives claimed that the treatment of non-Muslims has deteriorated.
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According to the newspaper, local authorities are forbidding non-Muslim communities from appointing a leader. Instead, the report said, authorities demand a sole representative for residents of all faiths, thus preventing the Jewish community in Istanbul from appointing a new chief rabbi.
Milliyet further reported that there is evidence of a growing trend in the city whereby Christian and Jewish schoolchildren are being separated from Muslim pupils.
Furthermore, the newspaper said, government officials recently raided the "Hemdat Yisrael" synagogue in Istanbul during a Shabbat prayer session and demanded to see documentation proving that the worshipers are residents of the city.
"Everyone is apathetic; people immerse themselves in their work, but you can sense that the reality has changed," a local Jewish man said of the atmosphere in Istanbul, "The situation is redolent of other eras in history."
However, Turkey's Chief Rabbi Isak Haleva said it was all just a misunderstanding, which was corrected with the country's authorities. With regards to the election of a new chief rabbi, Haleva explained that in the past, a rabbi was elected for a life-long term, but that this protocol has now changed.
"Since my election, we decided that a rabbi's tenure should be limited to seven years. This became a formal matter, which was misunderstood. After we talked with the relevant bodies the matter was settled, and in the coming days a rabbi for the Jewish community in Turkey will be elected."
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