A call by a senior lawmaker from Turkey’s ruling party to restrict Holocaust-themed films was ranked as the most notable antisemitic incident of 2025 in a poll published on Thursday by Avlaremoz, a Jewish-led group that documents hate speech and discrimination.
The top-ranked incident involved comments by Özlem Zengin, a senior lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), who in October urged that films and documentaries about the Holocaust be banned in Turkey as long as what she described as genocide in Gaza continues. Zengin criticized the frequent broadcast of such films on television and digital platforms during the conflict, a stance that sparked criticism from Jewish organizations and rights advocates.
The poll was based on incidents documented throughout 2025 by Avlaremoz, which monitors antisemitism and hate speech in Turkey. Readers were invited to vote on which cases best illustrated antisemitism in public life, an effort aimed at raising awareness and revisiting incidents that drew criticism over the year.
Other top-ranked cases included protests against a Hanukkah celebration in Istanbul after it was linked by demonstrators to Israel, and a staged street performance on the city’s İstiklâl Street featuring performers in Nazi uniforms.
Antisemitism in Turkey has periodically surfaced in political rhetoric, street protests and online discourse, particularly during periods of heightened tension in the Middle East. Jewish community representatives and rights groups say criticism of Israel is often directed at Turkey’s Jewish minority, blurring the line between political expression and hostility toward Jews.
Avlaremoz, whose name comes from Ladino and means “Let’s talk,” said the poll was intended to highlight patterns rather than isolated incidents. The platform said it hoped the new year would see public discourse in which hate speech and antisemitism are no longer treated as a normal part of daily life.
