Foreign ministry set to take part in Holocaust rememberance ceremony today

Turkey for the first time will officially commemorate the Holocaust today at Istanbul's biggest synagogue, Neve Salom, with the participation of Foreign Ministry officials and the mayor of Istanbul. "The Jewish community in Turkey will hold this memorial ceremony for the first time" Selcuk Unal, Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told reporters yesterday. "Naturally we will also be present at the ceremony. Ambassador Ertan Tezgor and the mayor of Istanbul will attend the commemoration as well." In a statement on Tuesday, the office of Turkey's chief rabbi, speaking on behalf of Turkey's Jewish community, said, "It is humanity's obligation to condemn the Holocaust, which aimed to completely destroy a people, in order to take necessary steps to prevent future genocides and encourage efforts to educate new generations."