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CONFERENCES
- Atilla SUNAY (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Problems of the Turks living on Rhodes and the Dodecanese Islands.
21.02.1998
- Zeki CELIKKOL (Former Consul General to Rhodes)
Turkish Works and Their Background on Rhodes, Kos and the Dodecanese Islands
06.03.1999
- Mehmet BATSIYALI
Recent Historical Developments on the Dodecanese Islands
06.11.1999
- Prof. Dr. Erol MANISALI (Istanbul University Faculty of Economics)
Relations between Turkey and Greece and the European Union
15.01.2000
- Inal BATU (Retired Ambassador)
Turkish - Greek Relations and the Turks of Dodecanese
15.12.2000
- Retired Vice-Admiral Tanju ERDEM
Turkish - Greek Relations in Light of Recent Developments
02.02.2002
B. PRESS RELEASES
Press Release of 08 December 2000
STOP THE DESTRUCTION IN THE SULEIMANIYA MADRESAH (Religious school)
Our association has been established with the purpose of ensuring solidarity, preservation of the common culture and customs among the Turks who immigrated to Turkey from Rhodes, Kos and the Dadocenese Islands and carrying out work for contributing the protection of the works on the islands remaining from the Ottoman Turks and the cultural identities of the Turks on the Island. We believe that one of our aims in conducting our work is to assist the development of friendship and cooperation between the Turkish and Greek peoples.
In this context we should see that to base the friendship between the two countries on strong foundations requires the resolution of the issues that constitute problem in the relations. It is important that everybody should know that no permanent and continuous peace would be established without the resolution of the problems.
We can list the problems that we deem very important for the Turks of Rhodes and Kos as follows:
1. The maintenance and repair of our cultural heritage remaining from the Ottoman Turks are not allowed, the repairs are done only as a formality and the works are left to the decay of time.
For example, it is aimed that the famous Suleimaniyah Madresah (religious school) on the Rhodes Island will be destroyed. The Greek government started to dig the foundation of the Madresah under the pretext of discovering the old St. Jean church located under the Suleimaniyah Madresah and closed down this school. In fact this school belonged to the Government Department in control of estates in mortmain ("Evkaf Dairesi"), however, a legal pretext was found and the Greek Ministry of Culture confiscated the Madresah. The Suleimaniyah Madresah is a historical building constructed in 1876 for providing Turkish children with primary, secondary and high school education. The Greek government in 1972 without any reasons closed down the Suleimaniyah Madresah that maintained its function as the primary school because the 80 % of the students were Turkish children and language of instruction was Turkish.
It should be allowed that this building of education that is located on the most splendid site of the Rhodes Island would be ruined.
We request the Greek government to stop digging at the foundations of the Suleimaniah Madresah and to prevent the destruction.
We want the international community to accept the works remained from the Ottoman Turks of Rhodes and Kos as the cultural heritage of humanity.
The fact that Turkey claims to be the owner of the cultural heritage of the Classical era, protects and takes care of it is as necessary and important as the fact that Greece claims to be the owner of the cultural heritage remaining from the Ottoman Turks, protects and takes care of it.
2. We deem it useful to inform an important subject connected with the destruction of the Suleimaniah Madresah to the public opinion and the international community. The Government Department in control of estates in mortmain established with the purpose of preservation of the cultural heritage remained from the Ottoman Turks in Rhodes and Kos exists. However, Greek Governments makes the Government Department in control of estates in mortmain incur much expense and causes it to sell its the lands and properties. Thus the Government Department in control of estates in mortmain is rendered weak. Unfortunately, the Greek governments carry out this application by appointing the people who are dishonest with the safekeeping of what is entrusted to them to the Boards of Administrators of Trusts.
As a result, the works such as the mosques, schools, tombs of a saint or personage, public soup kitchens, fountains are left to the destruction of time and they are aimed to be ruined. In addition to this, the Suleimaniyah Mosque can be given as example. The framework for restoration set up only as a formality in the Suleimaniyah Mosque gives the image that restoration work is carried out in the mosque, however, the other aspect of the mosque is left to ruin. This practice continues more than ten years.
3. The schools in Rhodes and Kos whose medium of instruction is Turkish, especially the Suleimaniyah Madresah are closed. Therefore, our kinsmen are deprived of learning their mother tongue in the Greek schools even as an elective course. One of the most natural rights of the people, studying in their mother tongue, is not given to our kinsmen in the Dadocenese Islands.
Greece which does not give the right of studying in their mother tongue to Turks, prevent the Turks who are loyal Greek citizens from becoming organized with their cultural identities.
4. Similar problems are also true for the Turks of Thrace.
5. The officials of Greek government who talk about the Turkish-Greek friendship state that nothing has been changed in the Greek foreign policy on the other hand. For example, they hold military maneuvers with the Greek Cypriot administration as "an indication of hostile attitude" against Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
6. Greek government prevents the admission of Turkey to the EU as a member by putting forth Cyprus and the Aegean issue.
7. Greece continuously arms against Turkey.
It is possible to make additions to this list of problems.
Whether the Turkish-Greek friendship will be lasting and permanent depends on the Greek governments. The rhetorics of friendship that do not have strong foundations should not mislead anybody. The lasting peace can only be possible with the admission of one fundamental fact by the Greek governments. Lasting peace is only possible with the establishment of peace on the mutual relations of interest. In order for the peace to be established on this basic fact, the things that the Greek governments should do with respect to the Turks of Rhodes and Kos should briefly be as follows;
Firstly, Greek governments should pay attention to the protection and repair of the cultural works on Rhodes, Kos and the Dadocenese Islands. The destruction of the Suleimaniyah Madresah should be stopped immediately and deceiving actions should be avoided in the repair of the Suleimaniyah Madresah.
Secondly, Turkish identities of our kinsmen on Rhodes and Kos should be accepted and the pressures preventing them from getting organized with their cultural identities should be ended. As of currently, the Turks living on these islands are accepted only with their Muslim identities.
Thirdly, the Turkish children living on Rhodes and Kos should be given the right of studying in Turkish at least at the level of primary school.
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kaymakci
Chairman of Culture and Solidarity Association of
The Turks of Rhodes, Kos and the Dadocenese Islands
2. Press Release of 09.10. 2000
WE STRONGLY CONDEMN "THE SO-CALLED CLAIM OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE"
We strongly condemn "so-called claim of Armenian Genocide" which was accepted in the International Relations Sub Committee of the US House of Representatives and which is considered to be approved in the House of Representatives.
The US House of Representatives cannot put itself both in the position of public prosecutor and judge. In history for genocide, the USA first should look at the Indian genocide that it committed in its own continent. It should be added that there has been no genocide in any period of Turkish history. The claimed subject is the deportation of some Armenians who cooperated with the imperialist states that attacked the Ottoman Empire in World War I.
What is intended to be done with the claims of so-called genocide is for the Armenian Diaspora and Armenia to continue their existence by creating a common enemy and if it is possible to revive the Sevres Treaty by making material and moral demands from Turkey in the future.
Yet it should be known that no hostility directed towards the Republic of Turkey and Turkish people will not be successful. The friendship with the Republic of turkey and with its people is for the benefit of everybody.
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kaymakci
Chairman of Culture and Solidarity Association of
The Turks of Rhodes, Kos and the Dadocenese Islands
3. Press Release of 04.11. 2003
TURKISH-OTTOMAN IDENTITY ON RHODES AND THE DADOCENESE ISLANDS IS WIPED OUT
A large number of Turkish-Ottoman architectural works exist on Rhodes, Kos and the Dadocenese Islands. However, these architectural works are being destroyed by the Greeks. Mosques may be used as wedding halls. The minarets are ruined and they are not allowed to be repaired. The historical Turkish bats are transformed into discos and bars. The Turkish Clock tower is presented as the Byzantium Clock Tower. The Suleimaniyah Madresah is made subject to destruction.
After our association and other officials inform the Turkish and world public opinion about this situation and make a complaint about it, the Greek government started the work of restoration only as a formality. However, concerning the quality of these works, Assistant Professor Murat Gül, the member of the Board of the Protection of the Historical Works in the New Wales state of Austria about the Turkish-Ottoman architectural works in Rhodes made a statement that "Many works are not used in accordance with their purpose, they are ruined due to lack of care. Because the Turkish scholars are not consulted about the restoration, the historical past is being tried to be wiped out with the Byzantium and Roman ornaments," which was published in the Radikal Newspaper of 03 October 2003.
On the other hand, the cultural identities of the Turks of Rhodes, Kos and the Dadocenese Islands are not recognized. Our kinsmen are called Greek Muslims. The Turkish children can study elective Turkish course even in their age of primary school education. In short, with intentional assimilation, Turkish identity is intended to be wiped out.
We present the situation to the information of the Turkish public opinion.
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kaymakci
Chairman of Culture and Solidarity Association of
The Turks of Rhodes, Kos and the Dadocenese Islands
4. Press Release of 20.05. 2003
THE TURKISH ARCHITECTURE IN RHODES AND KOS IS AIMED TO BE DESTROYED BY LEAVING FOR DECAY
In Cumhuriyet Newpaper dated 15 May 2003, the report "the Turkish Architect in Rhodes is being destroyed" by Mehmet Emin Berber" was published. In the report, it is stated that the Turkish Architecture remained from the Ottoman Turks was kept closed or left for decay and this information is true.
In this context, we would like to present the four main subjects that we deem important with respect to the Turks of Rhodes and Kos;
1. The maintenance and the repair of our cultural heritage remained from the Ottoman Turks are not allowed, the repairs are done only as formality and the works are left to the decay of time. For example, the famous Suleimaniyah Madresah in Rhodes is intended to be destroyed. The Greek government started to dig the foundation of the Madresah under the pretext of discovering the old St. Jean church located under the Suleimaniyah Madresah and confiscated the Madresah. The Suleimaniyah Madresah is a building constructed in 1876 with the purpose of providing the Turkish children primary, secondary and high school education. In conclusion the mosques, schools, türbes (tombs of saints), imarets (public soup kitchens), fountains are intended to be ruined by leaving to the decay of time.
2. The Government Department in control of estates in mortmain established with the purpose of preservation of the cultural heritage remained from the Ottoman Turks in Rhodes and Kos exists. However, Greek Governments makes the Government Department in control of estates in mortmain incur much expense and causes it to sell its the lands and properties. Thus the Government Department in control of estates in mortmain is rendered weak. Unfortunately, the Greek governments carry out this application by appointing our kinsmen who are dishonest with the safekeeping of what is entrusted to them to the Boards of Administrators of Trusts.
3. The Turkish children living on Rhodes and Kos do not have the right to study in Turkish even at the level of primary school. The schools medium of instruction of which was Turkish were closed down by the Greek Government without any reasons. Our kinsmen are deprived of learning their mother tongue in the Greek schools even as an elective course.
4. Greece has banned the Turks of the Island who are loyal Greek citizens from getting organized with their cultural identities. In recent years, as a result of the work carried out by our association they have been allowed to become organized with the name of the Muslims of Rhodes and Kos.
In summary, THE TURKISH CULTURE AND EXISTANCE IN RHODES AND KOS ARE INTENDED TO BE DESTROYED SYSTEMATICALLY.
We present the subject to the opinion of the Turkish and world public opinion.
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kaymakci
Chairman of Culture and Solidarity Association of
The Turks of Rhodes, Kos and the Dadocenese Islands
C. SOCIAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES
Social assistance is provided to our seven kinsmen from Rhodes and Kos regularly every month.
D. BROCHURE DISTRIBUTION
A brochure introducing the architectural works remained from the Ottoman Turks has been prepared for the tourists who will visit Rhodes and Kos. With the inclusion of the photographs of the works such as mosque, masjids (small mosques ), tombs of saints, school and clock tower that remained from the Ottoman Turks into the brochure it is intended for the tourists to visit these places.
Thus tourists will see these works and on the other hand they will realize that the Greek governments do not pay due attention for the protection, maintenance and repair of these works intentionally. The brochure is distributed with the means of the association.
E. SOLIDARITY MEALS
Every year solidarity meals are held in such a way that our kinsmen from Rhodes and Kos can also join.
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