Cyprus-Forum.com

[Tim Drayton]

Today's edition of the Turkish Radikal newspaper carries a report with the headline "Return Greek Property".

http://www.radikal.com.tr/Default.aspx? ... egoryID=78

The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly has passed a resolution concerning abuses of human rights suffered by minority Greeks living on the islands of Bozcaada/Imroz and Gökçeada/Tenedos. The resolution demands that Turkey, among other things,

- returns all property confiscated from the Greek minority
- opens a school for the children of the Greek minority,
and
- repairs churches on the islands.

The resolution goes on to say that if property is not returned, at least compensation should be paid to the owners.

This resolution must establish important precedents which have application to Cyprus.

[tessintrnc]

When did the properties get confiscated Tim?

[Jerry]

Just out of curiosity Tim, what is the Turish word for Greek?

[Tim Drayton]

Just out of curiosity Tim, what is the Turish word for Greek?

There was a lengthy discussion about this on another thread.

The word "Rum" was used to describe Greeks at the time of the Ottoman Empire. This was because Byzantium identified itself as the Eastern Roman Empire and its residents tended to identify themselves as "Romios".

Following the founding of an independent Greek state, this state was known in Turkish as "Yunanistan" and its citizens were known as Yunanlı".

This led to a situation where ethnic Greeks still living within the borders of the Ottoman Empire continued to be known as "Rum", while Greeks living in the Greek state were referred to as "Yunanlı". This dichotomy has been retained until the present day, with the few remaining members of the Greek minority living in Turkey still referred to as "Rum".

In the context of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots are also always referred to as "Rum" in Turkish.

[Jerry]

Just out of curiosity Tim, what is the Turish word for Greek?

There was a lengthy discussion about this on another thread.

The word "Rum" was used to describe Greeks at the time of the Ottoman Empire. This was because Byzantium identified itself as the Eastern Roman Empire and its residents tended to identify themselves as "Romios".

Following the founding of an independent Greek state, this state was known in Turkish as "Yunanistan" and its citizens were known as Yunanlı".

This led to a situation where ethnic Greeks still living within the borders of the Ottoman Empire continued to be known as "Rum", while Greeks living in the Greek state were referred to as "Yunanlı". This dichotomy has been retained until the present day, with the few remaining members of the Greek minority living in Turkey still referred to as "Rum".

In the context of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots are also always referred to as "Rum" in Turkish.

Interesting, thanks.

[Tim Drayton]

I found the following web page (in Turkish) about the Greek language still spoken in some remote villages in the Black Sea province of Trabzon. This area was inhabited by Greek-speaking Muslims, who were spared deportation under the exchange of populations because they were not Christian. The language apparently still survives in a number of villages.

http://www.karalahana.com/makaleler/folklor/abemas.htm

The following anecdote is related here:

“The grandson of a family that was deported to Greece visited his grandfather’s birthplace of Trabzon as a tourist, and was walking around the old Greek quarter of Dafnunda.

A man from Of whom he encountered while buying something in a shop realised that the tourist was Greek, and asked

- Asemas me ise? (Are you one of us?)

To which he received the reply

- Ego ime asesas yoksam esi ise ase-mas? (Am I one of you, or are you one of us?)”

A good question. Are the Greek-speaking Muslims of Trabzon Greek because of the language they speak, or Turkish because of their religion?

The web page lists the kinship terminology used by Greek speakers in Trabzon:
mana (mother), baba (father), emice (paternal uncle), thiya (maternal uncle), adelfi (sister), adelfos (brother), patzianeps (granddaughter), pedia-neps (grandson), antradeldisa (husband’s sister), antradelfos (brother-in-law), perobul (son), pazobul (daughter), patzi (unmarried woman), shera (widow)

I thought this might be of interest.

[Tim Drayton]

When did the properties get confiscated Tim?

You can find a list of the human rights violations that have allegedly been commited against the Greek minority living on these two islands here:

http://www.ellopos.com/blog/?p=98

[tessintrnc]

Thanks Tim

[Piratis]

In 1960, according to the official census there were 5,487 Greeks and 289 Turks in Imvros. Today there are 300 Greeks and 7,900 Turks on that island. Less than 50 Greeks remain in Tenedos.

Same happened with Constantinouple and other places in Asia Minor. All this while the Muslim/Turkish population in Greece is increasing and demanding more and more rights than the ones given to them with the Treaty of Lausanne.

[perdike]

When did the properties get confiscated Tim?

You can find a list of the human rights violations that have allegedly been commited against the Greek minority living on these two islands here:

http://www.ellopos.com/blog/?p=98

Tim,
I wish the blog gave a few sources for the events related. Whilst I have no doubt that the broad picture is true, it is a very slanted blog, and when searching for solutions to these problems, I want true facts used.