In a concerning turn of events, the father, uncle and another relative of an Israel Border Policewoman, who was born in Turkey, were summoned to three different police stations in Istanbul. These interrogations, lasting about nine hours, stirred significant concern.
The Tweet that sparked it all
The controversy began when the Israeli Embassy in Washington posted a tweet last week. The tweet featured a photograph of four Border Police officers in Jerusalem, taken by a well-known Israeli photographer back in February. The caption read: "All our citizens who came from all over the world are protecting Israel." It also mentioned the origins of the four officers, highlighting that one had immigrated to Israel from Turkey.
Following the tweet's release, the policewoman's family reached out to the embassy, prompting the immediate deletion of the tweet.
By the time it was removed, the tweet had already made its rounds on Turkish websites, displaying the Border Policewoman’s photo and full name. An anti-Israeli Turkish website amplified the issue, stating: "We did a little research. There is a terrorist in this picture, and this terrorist actually lives in Turkey. The Israeli Embassy in the U.S. shared this picture. What interests us is that one of these Jewish soldiers came from Turkey and is serving in Israel."
The website further criticized: "Our country still allows these soldiers to enter and exit Turkey, while many nations prohibit re-entry if someone joins the Israeli army. We need to follow their example."
Political Reactions and Police Involvement
The former mayor of Ankara, Melih Gökçek, called on the police to investigate "the terrorist committing genocide." This led to the policewoman's father being summoned for questioning, resulting in a nine-hour interrogation. Simultaneously, her uncle and another relative were also called in for questioning.
The Israeli Embassy in Washington issued a response: "The Israeli Embassy in Washington actively engages on all social networks to update various audiences in the U.S. about events in Israel and to raise awareness about the hostages in Gaza. This is alongside posts about life in Israel, including its social mosaic. Since the war began, the embassy has posted thousands of updates on social media, reaching millions of views. The photo in question was originally posted on an Instagram account with tens of thousands of followers in February by an Israeli photographer. Since the photo portrays the diversity of Israeli society, it was shared on the embassy's account. Upon the family's request, the photo was removed from the embassy's account."
Concurrently, the Free Struggle Party in Turkey, also known as "Turkey's Hezbollah," recently proposed a bill in the Turkish Parliament to revoke the citizenship of Turkish Jews holding dual citizenship. The bill also calls for the confiscation of their assets and sentencing them to life imprisonment.
Despite being an extremist party with only three members, it is part of Erdogan's coalition. Approval of this bill could severely impact President Erdogan's relations with the United States.