Most sane people left in Eurabia actually fear allowing turkey into the EU. Are those fears justified? It appears so... turkish voters gave there opinion by the way they voted. I no that none of my neighbors want them in the EU. Out of around 30 people on my street there is only 1 who wants them in....and he is a turk lol

I'm glad and calm that jews in turkey will continue their life without any fear, what's interesting is the relations between us and them only flourishing, we will keep it.

These people are fooling themselves. Turkish secularism and democracy is as stable as my ex-girlfriend. Radical Islam is getting more and more popular. German Jews in 1938 and Iranian Jews in 1978 also said that nothing was to worry about. Remember that Turkish movie about US soldiers and an Jewish doctor who killed Muslims and sold their organs to Israelis? That movie was the highest grossing film of all time in Turkey. Likewise - the most popular book - is the one about a Turk dropping a nuclear bomb on USA and becoming a martyr. Turkey will never be admitted into the EU. Turks aren't European and they know it, no matter how they try to imitate Europe. Turkey is and will always be within the realm of Islam. Turkey has about 20-50 years left before Islam takes hold. The Turkish Jews have even less...

Right - you polled the people on your street. And what do people on a street in the USA have to do with Turkish EU membership? Oh, you were lying when you said "USA."

Silvio Ovadia - 'Turkey isn't Iran' Germany wasnt Iran ether. Civilized. Desaster come fast. Then it's too late.

But Turkey will go as Iran did if we don't stop this radicalism right now.

The women, who in the first picture under the titled "Veiled women in Istanbul (Photo: Roee Nahmias), are not turkish women; on the contrary they are arabs women that visit Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Cami) in istanbul. namely they tourists not turkish women. please attention! Please correct information, not false news...

It is great to see Turkey and Israel still be friends, after all Turkey was one of the first to recognise Israel as a state and has continued to support Jews in their troubled relationship with the Arab's. However they must do even more, we are the 2 most powerful states in the region and the others states around us must recognise that. All them people who are scared of Turkey have obviously never been there and think of us no different to Iranians and Arabs. To them i say look at our history, even in Ottoman times we have treated Jews better than any other country in the world. They for one need each other due to Iran's expanding influence. I am very happy theat Israel & Turkey are friends and beleive it will stay that way. The EU is only just starting to see Turkey's potential and will realise that it is in their best interest to keep their doors open. Within 10 years Turkey will be much better off then most EU states. By that time if the EU still doesnt want Turkey, It will show the whole world the true nature of the organisation. That it is in the end nothing but a christian club and very narrow minded.

even the Ottomon era Spanish holocoust,and when France was turning over the Jews to Germans ,Turkish govrement issued passports to many Jews escape to Turkey,this act will make Shindelers list a joke. please look it up. and We all know Israel also sopports Turkey we will be friends always.sometimes everyone critisize other govrements that doesn't mean they are against the people. Tahnk you Matthew

The picture caption is misleading. Those are no typical Istanbul women, those are more likely tourists visiting the Topkapi or the Blue Mosque. Roee, don't ruin you reputation...

A secular Turkey and a secular Israel are sure to be friends. Both nations share the fact they both have a rich history of multiculturalism and enlightment.

is this fact or fiction? I have lived in both countries and it seems to me that turkish people are more islamic.

It's taken a first step on that road. Don't kid yourself, just look at what's happening everywhere else in the Muslim world. Islamic fundamentalism is an insidious & invasive political movement no different from the fascism that spread thru Europe in the 1920's & 1930's or it's counterpart, communism, that was spreading since the Bolshevik revolution. The common denominator for all three is totalitarianism. All brought poverty, misery, mass-murder, & oppression on a massive scale. I would add that both totalitarian movements had their apologists in the democratic western world just as today Islamism is defended by the politically correct discourse & superficial analyses so prevalent today, under the guise of tolerance & multi-culturism. But how can one be tolerant of intolerance? Good luck to secular Turks.

So do Israel... Our religions brothers would so EXACTLY the same our former hosts in Persia...

Turkey is not a fundamentalist state or even close to it. The people who are the most profoundly anti-democratic are on the secular side - I am thinking of the MHP. I was in Turkey for the elections and the vast majority of people voted for the AK party because it is seen as pro-business - the secular parties being socialist - and less xenophobic. The issue is that there is an undercurrent of anti-Israeli feeling there and due to energy requirements the turks have to cuddle up to Iran - mainly for gas. But to compare Turkey to 30s facism is way, way off the mark.

Aya Sophia is a museum and has been since the Ataturk days. Even a 5 second look inside would tell you that it is not a functioning mosque, let alone the "most famous one"! And the photos of "veiled women" is outside the actual most famous mosque aka the Blue Mosque and if you look at the photo there are also a few women not veiled but almost certainly most in the photo are tourists not turks. As for the result, most turks I spoke to said that the election was utterly predictable. It is sad - and disturbing - that we Israelis cannot rely on a major newspaper to get basic facts right.

of course, the possibiliy is on the table, you describe this prevalent phenomenon very well. but, at the same time stop being so paranoid, we have good relations with many muslims countries. the relations with turkey has been getting better even the results of the contemporary elections, so come on terry, you can breath a freash air!

This is a first step. I didn't say that today, Turkey is a fundamentalist state. But tomorrow, it could be. And I wasn't comparing Turkey to 1930's fascism, I was comparing Islam to both totalitarian ideologies, communism included. Like all totalitarian movements in modern times, they prepare the way, slowly when there is opposition, but they never cease efforts to increase their influence until they can seize power, sometimes thru elections (the last election, so to speak), sometimes thru violence & the murder of their opponants, as happened in the Iranian revolution or more recently, in Gaza. I happen to come from a Muslim country (3 yrs ago) & I have seen the gradual increase in "Islamic" influence over the course of the last 20 years or so. It was the main reason I left. They infiltrate the gov't., the schools, the police, the army - Saudi religious propaganda is distributed outside of mosques, there is constant propaganda against "moral" issues such as alcohol, prostitution (which includes dating), anti-gay measures, & of course, the usual anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, & anti-American propaganda. They spread conspiracy theories about everything, all of it presented at "un-Islamic". You are being naive.

What? You can have laws forbidding Plishtim to buy land in Israel and call democracy the greatest threat for Israel, HOW DARE YOU TO BE CONCERNED FOR TURKEY!? If Turkey chooses to be orthodox Islam state that has in institution "We hold ourselves to be bloodline and puppils of Amelek, and therefor, we forbid any Jew to live in Turkkey" - you HAVE to comply! Turkey is the land of TURKS, by the same logic that says that Israel is the land of Jews exclusively. So, if Jews have any problem with Turkey - who cares?

30 years ago Iranian had a similar opinion about Iranian moslems. It is true that local culture may not be the same, but the faith and its potential for violence and terror is the same

But for a while Iran wasn't Iran either. Remember when Iran was Israel's best friend in the Middle East? That's not to say that we need be alarmist about Turkey. But things can always change, for better or for worse.

Witness what happened to the ship,the Struma,, which was barred entry from Turkish government. However, Turkish diplomats outside of Turkey did help Jews, e.g. Salaheddin Ulkumen. Also, activities of Cardinal Roncalli (later Pope John XXIII), who was based in Istanbul, saved many Jews.

Look at Turkish history!!! A mighty empire... 84 years old democracy... They gave women rights to elect years be4 Switzerland... When Europe was cutting Jews in WW2 (the Germans and hypocrate French) Turkish diplomats - a.k.a. his majesty, ambassador Behic ERKIN - were struggling in France to save Jews (20.000 saved, today appx. 17000 jews live in Turkey)... Turkey has strong roots with Europe in every aspect. Starting from the Spartans, Niacea Meetings, Virgin Marie, Santa Clause, Noah's Ark, Troy, Constantinople, Philedelphia, Ceasaria...So that the Turkish people. If you go to Aegean cost, u'll hardly believe that u aren't at Greece, if you go to Marmara at Paris or London, if you go to Blacksea at Moscow... There's no such discrimination between secular and religious exists. That's what we Americans believe... In fact, 99% Turks see Ataturk as their father and the secularism is written what ever happens in the bones of every Turk. Turkey isn't Iran cuz Turkey knows democracy better and historically more then most of the hypocrate Europeans.

Turkey is Anatolia, or ASIA minor. Turks are originally Asiatic, from central Asia. They speak the same language as in Azerbaijan, and very similar to Kazakhs, Uzbek, Turkmen, Turkoman, Tatar, Bashkir, and a whole host of Turkish peoples from central Asia. The reason that some parts of Aegean Turkey seem like they might be Greece is a a very surprising answer. Izmir (Smyrna), Istanbul (Constaninople), and the whole Aegean coast were GREEK! It was the homeland of the Ionian Greeks until 1920, and in fact many great ancient Greeks (Herodotus, Homer) were 'Turkish' Greeks. A bit like calling Jesus a 'Palestinian'. So, do I like Turkey and the Turks? Sure I do. But let's not try to make them into something they are not. Let them team up with Azerbaijan, also modern morderate Moslems. But nobody can force Turkey on the EU against the public wishes.

Terry, apparantely you do not have a clue on the political party that is re-elected in Turkey. Neither does the party define itself as Islamic, nor do they have any agenda that is close to Islamists. They received so many votes due their economic sucess. And yes (as Danny #15 said), because they were much more inclusive and democratic minded than any of the so called "secular" parties. I know a lot of minorities, who have casted their votes for them. Hence, please no overgeneralizations before at least studying a little bit the facts.