THE RECENT HİSTORY of the RHODES and KOS TURKS “The Silent Cry Rising in the Aegean Sea”
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE RECENT HİSTORY OF THE RHODES and KOS TURKS “The Silent Cry Rising in the Aegean Sea” Prof. Dr.Mustafa KAYMAKÇI Assoc. Prof. Dr.Cihan ÖZGÜN Translated by: Mengü Noyan Çengel Karşıyaka-Izmir 2015 1 Writers Prof. Dr. Mustafa KAYMAKÇI [email protected] Mustafa Kaymakçı was born in Rhodes. His family was forced to immigrate to Turkey for fear of losing their Turkish identity. He graduated from Ege University Faculty of Agriculture in 1969 and earned his professorship in 1989. He has authored 12 course books and over 200 scientific articles. He has always tried to pass novelties and scientific knowledge on to farmers, who are his target audience. These activities earned him many scientific awards and plaques of appreciation. His achievements include •“Gödence Village Agricultural Development Cooperative Achievement Award, 2003”; •“TMMOB Chamber of Agricultural Engineers Scientific Award, 2004”; and •“Turkish Sheep Breeders Scientific Award, 2009”. His name was given to a Street in Acıpayam (denizli) in 2003. In addition to his course books, Prof. Kaymakçı is also the author of five books on agricultural and scientific policies. They include •Notes on Turkey’s Agriculture, 2009; •Agricultural Articles Against Global Capitalization, 2010; •Agriculture Is Independence, 2011; •Famine and Imperialism, 2012 (Editor); and •Science Political Articles Against Globalization, 2012. Kaymakçı is the President of the Rhodes and Kos and the Dodecanese Islands Turks Culture and Solidarity Association since 1996. Under his presidency, the association reflected the problems of the Turks living in Rhodes and Kos to organizations including Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Parliamentary Association of the European Council (PA CE), the United Nations and the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FEUN). The association became a permanent member of FEUN in 2014. He co-edited the book entitled “The Turkish Identity in Rhodes and Kos” with Cihan Özgün. Assoc.Prof. Dr. Cihan ÖZGÜN [email protected] Cihan Özgün, was born in Izmir in 1982. After completing his secondary education in Izmir Karataş High School, he graduated from Ege University Faculty of Letters Department of History in 2004.. He received his B.A. degrees from Dokuz Eylül University Institute of Educational Sciences and Dokuz Eylül University Department of Ataturk Principles and Revolutionary History in 2006, respectively. He was appointed to Ege University Faculty of Letters Department of History the same year. He earned his PhD in 2011 and an Associate Professor Doctor in 2014. In addition to co-authoring political, social and economic books on the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish Republic and History of the Balkans, he edited several books, published many articles in national and 2 international magazines, made presentations at some symposia and congresses and took part in a number of seminars, panels and conferences. Some of the courses Dr. Özgün teaches at Ege University Faculty of Letters Department of History include History of the Balkans, Contemporary History of Turkey, History of Press, Political Science and History of Civilization. The author currently carries on his scientific endeavors related to social, cultural, economic and political history of Rhodes, Kos and the Dodecanese Turks. He co-edited the book entitled “The Turkish Identity in Rhodes and Kos” with Cihan Özgün. 3 PRESENTATION INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... BELONGING, IDENTITY and LANGUAGE in RHODES and KOS TURKS ................. SOCIAL and CULTURAL LIFE in RHODES and KOS TURKS ...................................... Education .................................................................................................................................... Religion ........................................................................................................................................ Game, Entertainment and Food Culture ................................................................................ Press and Information Activities………………………………………………………………………… The SECOND WORLD WAR and TURKS in RHODES and KOS ..................................... ECONOMY and TURKS in RHODES and KOS .................................................................. Industry ....................................................................................................................................... Agriculture .................................................................................................................................. Trade and Service Sectors ......................................................................................................... CURRENT PROBLEMS of RHODES and KOS TURKS .................................................... Problem of Foundations …………………………………………………………………….. Problem of Preserving the Cultural Heritage Inherited from the Ottoman ........................ Problem of Minorities and Assimilation .................................................................................. Problem of Hate and Oppression .............................................................................................. Problem of Military Recruitment ............................................................................................. ORGANIZATION in RHODES and KOS TURKS ................................................................ MIGRATION in RHODES and KOS TURKS ATTITUDES OF RHODES and KOS TURKS TOWARDS the REPUBLIC OF TURKEY ..................................................................................................................................... DEMANDS OF RHODES and KOS TURKS ......................................................................... CONCLUSION SUMMARY................................................................................................................................. 4 Supplements: Documents and pictures related to the recent history of the Turkish Identity in Rhodes, Kos and the Dodecanese Islands ………………………….. PRESENTATION There is a perception in the world public opinion that the Turkish presence in Greece is solely restricted to Western Thrace. However, there is a Turkish population of about 6,000 people who live in the Dodecanese Islands, mainly Rhodes and Kos. The Greek authorities refused to grant “minority” status to these Muslim Turks claiming that the Dodecanese Islands were under Italian rule and not part of Greece when the Treaty of Lausanne was signed in 1923. On the other hand, a great majority of the Turkish citizens born in Anatolia have never been aware of the presence of Muslim Turks living in Rhodes and Kos. When they visit the islands as tourists, some of them are greatly surprised when they meet across Turkish shopkeepers. This feeling of surprise increases even more when they see the cultural works inherited from the Ottomans, most of which are neglected and uncared for although their number exceeds those in many cities in Turkey. Current problems of Moslem Turks living in the Dodecanese include expressing their Turkish identity freely, having a voice in the administration of the foundations, reactivating the functions of the Muftiate, restarting Turkish language and religion courses in schools, reopening mosques to religious services and restoring the civil rights and citizenship status of the Dodecanese Turks who had been previously deprived of Greek citizenship. Greece refuse to Grant the island Turks their Turkish identity but accept them as Greek Moslems. Turks living in the islands have been deprived of the right to education in their native language. As for the religious domain, the position of Muftiate has been vacant since 1972. As is known, the Dodecanese Islands were under Italian and later German rule from 1912 to the end of the Second World War. During the Italian possession of the islands, Italian became the official language as well the language of education. Freedom of speech and press was restricted and inhabitants of the islands were compelled to become Italian citizens in 1925. After the Dodecanese Islands were ceded to Greece with the Treaty of Paris, oppressive exercises on Turks started to increase. After the 1950’s the immigration of Turks from the islands to mainland Turkey for the reason that they were not allowed to start their own businesses and buy property. The Turks who had to leave the Dodecanese Islands were forced to sign an official document stating that they would not return to Rhodes ever again. Pressure on Turks living in Rhodes and Kos increased to a greater extent with the subsequent developments in Cyprus after the Military Junta seized power in Greece in 1967. Based on Article 19 of the Greek Citizenship Law which was in effect from 1959 to 1998, many Turks were deprived of Greek citizenship. After the “Cyprus Peace Operation” carried out by Turkey in 1974, immigration from the islands reached its highest point. Consequently, the Turkish population in the islands, which were estimated to be 15,000 at the beginning of the 20th century, has decreased by more than 50%. To sum up; the Dodecanese Turks are confronted with extinction at the beginning of the 21st century. The Dodecanese Turks, who are supposed to be the equal citizens of a European Union member country, are far from enjoying the blessings granted by a scheme considered as a civilization project. In fact, the Turks living in the islands cannot openly 5 express their Turkish