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Turkey Owes Israel an Apology over the Struma

(Jerusalem Post) Moti Zimrat - As we approach Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is appropriate to recall a shameful episode involving the Turks that occurred during World War II. On Dec. 16, 1941, the Struma left Romania and headed toward the Land of Israel through the Dardanelles. On board were 103 children, 272 women and 393 men, all Jews fleeing Antonescu's fascist regime in Romania. Near the coast of Turkey, the engine broke down, and the Turkish authorities towed the Struma to a quarantined section of the port, where the passengers were forced to stay on board. On Feb. 23, 1942, the Turkish government ordered the boat leave the Turkish port. When that didn't happen, the boat was tied to a Turkish tug boat and towed out of Turkish territorial waters into the Black Sea, 8 kilometers from the coast. The boat was left there with no food or water, a broken engine, and hundreds of people crowded aboard. The next morning, a tremendous explosion was heard. Perhaps the boat hit a mine, or was mistakenly hit by a Russian submarine torpedo. The boat immediately sank. Only refugee David Stoliar survived. Not one place in Turkey could be found to temporarily shelter these refugees of fascism. The Turks sent them to their deaths instead.
2013-04-05 00:00:00
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