Petros P. Groumpos, Emeritus Professor of the University of Patras
Mr. Erdogan, asks for a dialogue!
What an audacity?
"We are always there, ready to resolve disputes through dialogue and on a fair basis. Turkey is willing to sit in the table of dialogue. Let us unite all the countries of the Mediterranean. Let's find a formula that is acceptable to all and protects the rights of all." Mr. Erdogan will probably be joking! You have a dialogue without threatening and waving the Ottoman sword. You have a dialogue when you respect international law and know history well. History has shown other things in Turkish practice. Mr. Erdogan wants a dialogue with all the other participants as «bodies» of the new Ottoman empire that is dreaming.
Is there any trace of shame in the leaders of Turkey? And especially to its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan! Does anyone doubt the barbarity of the New Turkish state in the genocides it committed against Orthodox Christians, Kurds and other minorities living in the Ottoman Empire? Numerous history books testify to this. Even last year's TV series «The Red River» is the best and most shocking testimony of how Turkey treated Orthodox Christians. Although «the red river» focuses on the extermination of the Greeks of Pontus, watching it, one will fully understand that Turkish barbarism did not distinguish between Greeks and Armenians. The series «The Red River» was based on unshakable historical events and its central theme unfolded in the period before and during the Genocide of the Greeks of Pontus. The genocides of the Greeks of Pontus and the Armenians have been recognized by many countries and parliaments. Only Turkey refuses to admit it. At the same time, the TV series, «The Red River», greatly highlighted the difference between two completely different cultures.
Two Completely Different Cultures!
One is dominated by values of love, solidarity, justice, equality, respect for other religions, respect for "orthodox" traditions. In the other: killings, rapes, injustices, hatred of the Orthodox, violation of human rights, violent Islamization, cold-blooded killings of unarmed children and even the Turks themselves. The genocides of the Orthodox population by the Turks were a tragedy and were based on a plan proposed by a German minister (according to the «red river»).
Are we talking about Greek-Turkish friendship anymore? When all Turkish governments, without exception, stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the "genocides" committed. No one is offended that the Kemalists, Islamists and the current Turkish leadership of Mr. Erdogan, denying the genocides, are once again dogging our slaughtered ancestors. The non-recognition, apart from being an immoral act of barbarism, is also a clear statement that if necessary, they will do it again. And they did it in 1955 at the "September" events in Istanbul and other cities.
The Turkish Pogrom of 1955
Τhe pogrom unleashed by the Turkish mob, under the leadership of the Menderes government, against the large and prosperous Greek community of Istanbul on September 6 and 7, 1955. As a result, the 100,000 Greeks living in the city at that time gradually shrunk and today barely exceeding 2,000. Thousands of Turks with the slogans "Death to the Giaourides", "Break, tear down, it is Giaouris", "Slaughter the Greek Christians", "Down with Europe" and "Forward to march against Athens and Thessaloniki" left nothing standing. An unspecified number of men were raped and forced to be circumcised, and a large number of women were also raped. According to the testimony of the well-known Turkish writer Aziz Nesin, many priests were forced to be circumcised, with the victim being even an Armenian priest! 16 Greeks lost their lives and 32 were injured. Destroyed: 4,348 shops, 83 churches, 110 hotels, 27 pharmacies, 35 schools, 21 factories and about 1000 houses all Greek-owned. The financial cost of the damage amounted to $ 150 million, according to international organizations.
Turkish Threats!!??
With statements such as: "We reject as unfounded, false and slanderous the hostile allegations of the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, against our history and what he said during his speech at the" International Conference on the Crime of Genocide "organized in Athens on 6-8 December 2019 "said an announcement of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To get a very good and clear answer from the Greek Foreign Minister: "Insult is the choice of the one who cannot accept his/her History" Or another statement by Mr. Erdogan: "Greece cannot forget that we threw them in the Aegean" was another provocative comment on the Asia Minor catastrophe. Let them know that the Greeks were thrown into the sea by the Turks having the support, of our allies who turned their “backs” on us because King Constantine returned to Greece. Otherwise there would be no Turkey as we know it today.
Is not the recent departure of Cesme in the central Aegean on the so-called "blue homeland", an initiative that disturbs the ongoing investigations and does not aim at the Turks to show off their aggressive mood in a deafening way?
These aggressive moves are accompanied by equally provocative threats. A few days ago, after the end of the cabinet meeting under the Sultan of Ankara, AKP spokesman Omar Celik said that the maximalist dreams of the Greeks would turn into a nightmare. Up close and personal, the Turkish Foreign Minister, who repeated with an arrogant style, for the umpteenth time that nothing can be done in the Aegean without Turkey,
But why is Turkey violating, only the Greek airspace? And then it calls for dialogue with all neighboring countries! Why not violate Israeli, Cypriot or even Lebanese airspace? Why is this a violation of the rules of International law only to the detriment of Greece? Why it does not send a ship out of the state of Israel? Because it will not be at sea for many hours? Turkey asks for a dialogue but threatens only Greece with war! It states that can take the Aegean islands in one night and / or reach Athens in 6 days! Is this a serious policy of a state that wants you to be considered civilized and seeks to join the EU?
It is time for Turkey to change his unhuman behavior
Mercy! Turkey recently dares to teach us humanism lessons! The country that, under the pretext of terrorism, drops bombs on other countries and creates refugees! The country that recently forced the Orthodox Armenians to leave their homeland and to burn their houses so as not to fall into the hands of the Turks? The country that sinks immigrants at sea in order to blackmail the European Union and Greece! - The country that does not respect human rights even for its own citizens! How long will we tolerate these genocidal "neighbors"? How long will we tolerate the hypocrisy of our allies?
Let the «Red River» be the beginning of a great and difficult task of restoring truth and justice. It's a need for a global front against Erdogan's Turkey. We are all in danger. Does international law apply or does it not apply to everyone? Has Turkey been violating it systematically and continuously since 1974? How long will the UN and the international community tolerate these heinous crimes by Turkey? When will it be too late?!!
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