Tag #127219 - Interview #97664 (Yasef Romano)

Let me tell you about another event. There is a bazaar in Edirne called Kapalicarsi (Closed Bazaar).  That bazaar was built during the Ottomans.  The bazaar belongs entirely to the religious foundations.  This event is one we lived through three to five months ago. All of the stores belong to the foundations. The treasury examines all the foundations.  One of the stores is registered as belonging to the Edirne Jewish community. I have a very good relationship with the attorney for the Treasury. The attorney said, I discovered something; one store belongs to you as a community. You can have it reinstated from the foundations, he said. For a year now, the foundations have been renting the place out and receiving the money.  I have in my hand a certificate starting I am part of the Edirne Jewish community, I can open a lawsuit, sell the store in the name of the Jewish community and take the money.  I did not do this. I informed the Grand Rabbinate immediately, come, let’s take care of this, I said.  They send a lawyer to Edirne, open the lawsuit. The foundations say, you leave, we will pay you 180 billion liras.  There are some snags that arise, I become part of the talks.  The affair is concluded, the money arrives to Istanbul to the Grand Rabbinate. I discovered this, I informed you, can’t you even say thank you?  But when problems arise, the lawyer can call me at nights, I am the one who brought this to light, I don’t want anything.  But our Jewish community never, until they conclude their business, pashaiko, when the business is taken care of, the friendship is also done.  That is why I am a bit distanced from and offended by the community.