PASSOVER MESSAGE OF BAGIS

The Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis released a written statement on the occasion of the Passover Festival. 

In his message, Egemen Bagis indicated the following:

I would like to celebrate the Passover Festival of all of our Jewish citizens who live in Turkey and the Jewish community on such a significant day representing material and spiritual freedom for the Jewish people.

The Passover Festival, to be celebrated in an atmosphere of friendship and tolerance in our country, will be yet another occasion to unite common prayers for peace and make these prayers resound clearly.

As a nation with a vision of civilization built on love and tolerance, we share the enthusiasm for and happiness of our Jewish citizens on the occasion of this festival.

Our civilization represents an understanding that the mosques, churches and synagogues can peacefully exist side by side on the same street. Turkey has been a land where the calls to prayer by these religions have risen without challenging each other’s freedom.

Both the Iftar and Seder meals are known as the tables of friendship around which everybody says amen to the same prayer and embraces one another in good faith.

I celebrate the Passover Festival of all of our Jewish citizens and I hope that this festival will contribute to the freedom of all mankind in a world without  violence, oppression, servitude and cruelty.