Peter Lyukimson, Israel. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Professor of Jewish University in Jerusalem, Orientalist Amnon Coen is the first Israeli scientist who is proud to be a member of the History Society of Turkey, despite continuing tension in relations between the two countries.
The honorary title was awarded to Professor Coen by the vice premier of Turkey Bulent Arinc at the gala evening devoted to the 90thanniversary of independence of the Turkish Republic. Along with him 60 scientists from Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S.A. who “contributed to studying the history of the Ottoman Empire” were awarded. All prize winners traditionally wore salimiyah, a silk coat decorated with gold, which is a precise copy of the coat of Sultan Salim I, who granted it to outstanding poets and scientists, according to legend.
The sphere of scientific interests of Professor Coen covers a centuries-long period of the Turkish rule over the modern territory of Israel, but as a prominent expert on the Middle East, he used to be an aide of the Israeli government, the Foreign Ministry, and the Defense Ministry for years. They say that Professor Coen significantly determined outlines of Israeli foreign policy toward Turkey up to the early 2010s.
“Unfortunately, the current authorities of Turkey prefer developing relations with the Islamic world at the expense of relations with Israel. At the same time, the fact that I was awarded the title of an honorary member of the Turkish History Society proves that contacts between our countries maintain in various spheres, and we can hope for normalization of Israeli-Turkish relations in general,” Coen said when came back to Jerusalem.
