President Gul greets Jewish citizens' Hanukkah

ANKARA (A.A) - December 20, 2011 - Turkish President Abdullah Gul issued a message Tuesday wishing Turkey's Jewish citizens a happy Hanukkah. In his message, President Gul said that he joined in the celebrations of Hanukkah with all his sincerity. Our Jewish citizens, whom we embraced in the most dark and painful days of history, continue to live as the citizens of the same state for centuries with feelings of mutual respect and tolerance. They continue to make contributions to our country with their academic and social achievements. All of our citizens, regardless of their faith and roots, are the equal owners of our Republic and an inseparable part of the nation, Gul stressed in his message. I join in the celebrations of our Jewish citizens for Hanukkah and wish them all a prosperous life, Gul added. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.