Chief Rabbi David Asseo (1914 – July 14, 2002) was the Hakham Bashi

Hakham Bashi

Hakham Bashi is the Turkish name for the Chief Rabbi of the nation's Jewish community.-History:The institution of the Hakham Bashi was established by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II, as part of the millet system for governing exceedingly diverse subjects according to their own laws and authorities...

 (or Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...

) of the Republic of Turkey from 1960 until his death in 2002.

Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...

 David Asseo was the second longest serving of the chief rabbis in Europe (after Moses Rosen

Moses Rosen

Moses Rosen was Chief Rabbi of RomanianJewry between 1948–1994 and president of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Romania between 1964-1994...

 of Romania). In his career he spent 40 years as chief rabbi and spiritual leader of Turkey. His deputy of seven years, Ishak Haleva

Ishak Haleva

Ishak Haleva is the current Hakham Bashi of Turkey. Chief Rabbi Haleva was the deputy to David Asseo for seven years and became the new Hakham Bashi after his death in 2002.-See also:*History of the Jews in Turkey...

, became the new Hakham Bashi after his death in 2002.