Unraveling the Threads: Cultural Coding and Contemporary Antisemitism in Turkey after October 7, 2023

Abstract

The Iron Swords War, which erupted on October 7, 2023, triggered not only intense diplomatic and security reactions worldwide but also a renewed surge of anti-Israeli and antisemitic sentiment in Turkey. This article examines how this wave of hostility—exceeding legitimate political critique—reveals the enduring perception of Jews in Turkey as perpetual guests: individuals tolerated within the national space yet never fully embraced as integral members of the Turkish collective. This deeply rooted cultural logic continues to shape the representation of Jews and Israelis as alien, suspect figures, facilitating their demonization and the reproduction of antisemitic narratives, particularly in times of heightened tension in Turkish–Israeli relations. Building on the theoretical insights of Baskın Oran and Senem Çevik, the article conceptualizes these dynamics through the notion of cultural coding—a network of linguistic, legal, and symbolic mechanisms that delineate the boundaries of belonging and inscribe Jews and Israelis as external to the national body. Oran’s analysis of minority exclusion highlights the systematic marginalization of non-Muslims within the Turkish national ethos, while Çevik’s study of popular culture illuminates the moral dichotomy between a virtuous, loyal “us” and a threatening, deceitful “them.” By analyzing contemporary discursive patterns in political rhetoric, media narratives, and cultural representations following October 7, the article argues that antisemitism in Turkey should be understood not as a temporary eruption but as a persistent narrative through which Turkish national identity is defined and reaffirmed. The guest metaphor—casting Jews as temporary participants rather than rightful constituents of the nation—serves as a powerful cultural code that enables the translation of hostility toward Israel into negative attitudes toward Turkish Jewry, even when the latter express no identification or sympathy with the State of Israel. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that antisemitism in Turkey functions as a structural and enduring component of nation-building: a mechanism that produces national cohesion through the cultural and moral othering of the Jew.