ABSTRACT
The year 1992 marked the quincentennial anniversary for the Ottoman Empire's grant of refuge to thousands of Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. This welcomed arrival enabled the Jews to become a significant element in the Ottoman Empire's social and economic life. In the 1930s, a second wave of Jewish immigrants came from Germany and other Nazi-occupied parts of Europe. The presence and contributions of these academicians at various universities also enriched Turkish academic and cultural life. This event had a lasting cultural impact in terms of their publications, teaching, and training Turkish academicians who later played important parts in Turkish life. Today's Turkish Jews illustrate the influence of self-instigated socialization processes where they have become more and more a part of Turkish society. After examining their economic, social, and cultural activities in present-day Turkey and studying the nature of their contributions in these fields, one can unequivocally say that Turkish Jews have decided to make Turkey their homeland.
