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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 8 2014
Minorities: 'New Turkey' discourse continuation of Sept. 6-7 incidents
September 07, 2014, Sunday/ 16:25:51/ ARSLAN AYAN / ISTANBUL
Representatives of several minority groups joined a panel discussion
on Saturday to commemorate those who died in massive attacks targeting
Greek, Armenian and Jewish citizens of Turkey on Sept. 6`7, 1955,
agreeing that the `New Turkey' discourse that has been used by
President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an is nothing but a continuation of
earlier policies that have devastated minority groups.
The panel discussion, held at the Ä°smail BeÅ?ikçi Vakfı in Ä°stanbul's
BeyoÄ?lu district on Saturday, with the participation of many scholars,
aimed to shed light on the Sept. 6-7 incidents and reveal the current
situation of non-Muslim communities in Turkey. Those present addressed
the notion that a "New Turkey" is only possible if non-Muslim citizens
enjoy the same rights as the Muslim majority.
Delivering a speech at the meeting, journalist Rıdvan Akar said the
Sept. 6-7 incidents were a natural outcome of Turkish government
policies such as the Varlık Vergisi [Wealth Tax], by which wealth was
transferred from non-Muslims to Muslims, the `VatandaÅ? Türkçe KonuÅ?'
(`Citizen, Speak Turkish') campaigns, the 1964 deportation [of roughly
12,000 ethnic Greeks without Turkish citizenship], as well as
intimidation of minority groups and violent seizures of property.
Unfortunately, the history of the Turkish Republic is full of
undesirable events that happened to minorities. Thus, the population
of ancient non-Muslim communities of Anatolia, such as Armenians,
Jews, Rums and Assyrians, gradually declined.
Members of the Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism Association (Dur De)
also made a statement regarding the incidents during the meeting. `As
activists affiliated with the Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism
Association, we have gathered here today to commemorate the victims of
the Sept. 6-7- incidents. During the attacks on minority groups, more
than 400 non-Muslim women were raped, 15 people died, and more than
300 people were badly wounded. Four thousand two hundred and twelve
houses, 1,004 offices, 73 churches, one synagogue, one monastery, 26
schools and 5,317 other places, such as hotels and bars, were attacked
across the country. Of these, 59 percent of the destroyed property
belonged to Greeks, 12 percent to Jewish people and 17 percent to
Armenians. Meanwhile, the property of converts and some Muslims from
foreign countries was also destroyed during the riots. The incidents
accelerated the emigration of non-Muslim minorities from Turkey
immensely and Ä°stanbul province in particular. The project of creating
a homogeneous Anatolia by removing different ethnic groups had been
followed by governments since 1913 in order to create a nation state.
Within this framework, assimilation, immigration and population
policies were explicitly performed by the Turkish state. From this
perspective, the Sept. 6-7 incidents were a strong message to minority
groups in Turkey on the way of creating a society that is mostly
composed of people with Turkish identity and Sunni Muslim features,'
activists said.
According to official records, the riot started in İstanbul's Pangaltı
neighborhood, where there were popular localities such as the Haylayf
pastry shop, mostly patronized by Greek citizens. The Haylayf pastry
shop is where the riot erupted at 7 p.m. on Sept 6. From there, the
riot spread all over Ä°stanbul and the country. The events were
triggered by false news that the house of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the
founder of the Turkish Republic, in Thessaloniki, had been bombed the
day before. According to Turkish records, 11 non-Muslim people died in
the riots, while Greek sources claim that the number was 15.
Officially, 30 people were injured, but unofficial numbers amount to
300.
Also criticizing President ErdoÄ?an for his offensive remarks
concerning people of Georgian and Armenian descent, the activists said
that the president's insulting attitude towards Armenians is a clear
example of the continuation of earlier governments' devastating
policies towards minority groups, whose rights are guaranteed by the
1923 Treaty of Lausanne [signed between Turkey and six other states
following the Turkish War of Independence]. Unfortunately, even today,
this genocider perception of the Republic of Turkey still continues
without being subject to any particular change,' the activist added.
In televised remarks on Aug. 6, ErdoÄ?an said: `Let all Turks in Turkey
say they are Turks and all Kurds say they are Kurds. What is wrong
with that? You wouldn't believe the things they have said about me.
They have said I am Georgian. ...They have said even uglier things --
they have called me -- excuse me for saying this -- Armenian, but I am
Turkish.'
This statement from the Turkish president, in which he apologized
before using the word `Armenian' as though asking to be excused before
uttering a swear word, drew the ire of not only Armenians but also
other minority groups in Turkey.
Members of Dur-De commemorate the victims of Sept. 6-7
A ceremony to commemorate the victims of the events of Sept. 6-7,
1955, a large-scale attack on Turkey's minority populations living in
Ä°stanbul, was held by Dur De on Ä°stanbul's famed Ä°stiklal Street in
the lively neighborhood of Taksim on Saturday. Speaking at the
meeting, Gonca Å?ahin, a member of the association, told the press that
minorities in Turkey have always been under pressure and subject to
discriminatory practices. `The Republic of Turkey must apologize for
the Sept. 6-7 incidents, and all discriminatory practices towards
minority groups must come to a halt,' Å?ahin told the press.
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_minorities-new-turkey-discourse-continuation-of-sept-6-7-incidents_357982.html
Sept 8 2014
Minorities: 'New Turkey' discourse continuation of Sept. 6-7 incidents
September 07, 2014, Sunday/ 16:25:51/ ARSLAN AYAN / ISTANBUL
Representatives of several minority groups joined a panel discussion
on Saturday to commemorate those who died in massive attacks targeting
Greek, Armenian and Jewish citizens of Turkey on Sept. 6`7, 1955,
agreeing that the `New Turkey' discourse that has been used by
President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an is nothing but a continuation of
earlier policies that have devastated minority groups.
The panel discussion, held at the Ä°smail BeÅ?ikçi Vakfı in Ä°stanbul's
BeyoÄ?lu district on Saturday, with the participation of many scholars,
aimed to shed light on the Sept. 6-7 incidents and reveal the current
situation of non-Muslim communities in Turkey. Those present addressed
the notion that a "New Turkey" is only possible if non-Muslim citizens
enjoy the same rights as the Muslim majority.
Delivering a speech at the meeting, journalist Rıdvan Akar said the
Sept. 6-7 incidents were a natural outcome of Turkish government
policies such as the Varlık Vergisi [Wealth Tax], by which wealth was
transferred from non-Muslims to Muslims, the `VatandaÅ? Türkçe KonuÅ?'
(`Citizen, Speak Turkish') campaigns, the 1964 deportation [of roughly
12,000 ethnic Greeks without Turkish citizenship], as well as
intimidation of minority groups and violent seizures of property.
Unfortunately, the history of the Turkish Republic is full of
undesirable events that happened to minorities. Thus, the population
of ancient non-Muslim communities of Anatolia, such as Armenians,
Jews, Rums and Assyrians, gradually declined.
Members of the Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism Association (Dur De)
also made a statement regarding the incidents during the meeting. `As
activists affiliated with the Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism
Association, we have gathered here today to commemorate the victims of
the Sept. 6-7- incidents. During the attacks on minority groups, more
than 400 non-Muslim women were raped, 15 people died, and more than
300 people were badly wounded. Four thousand two hundred and twelve
houses, 1,004 offices, 73 churches, one synagogue, one monastery, 26
schools and 5,317 other places, such as hotels and bars, were attacked
across the country. Of these, 59 percent of the destroyed property
belonged to Greeks, 12 percent to Jewish people and 17 percent to
Armenians. Meanwhile, the property of converts and some Muslims from
foreign countries was also destroyed during the riots. The incidents
accelerated the emigration of non-Muslim minorities from Turkey
immensely and Ä°stanbul province in particular. The project of creating
a homogeneous Anatolia by removing different ethnic groups had been
followed by governments since 1913 in order to create a nation state.
Within this framework, assimilation, immigration and population
policies were explicitly performed by the Turkish state. From this
perspective, the Sept. 6-7 incidents were a strong message to minority
groups in Turkey on the way of creating a society that is mostly
composed of people with Turkish identity and Sunni Muslim features,'
activists said.
According to official records, the riot started in İstanbul's Pangaltı
neighborhood, where there were popular localities such as the Haylayf
pastry shop, mostly patronized by Greek citizens. The Haylayf pastry
shop is where the riot erupted at 7 p.m. on Sept 6. From there, the
riot spread all over Ä°stanbul and the country. The events were
triggered by false news that the house of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the
founder of the Turkish Republic, in Thessaloniki, had been bombed the
day before. According to Turkish records, 11 non-Muslim people died in
the riots, while Greek sources claim that the number was 15.
Officially, 30 people were injured, but unofficial numbers amount to
300.
Also criticizing President ErdoÄ?an for his offensive remarks
concerning people of Georgian and Armenian descent, the activists said
that the president's insulting attitude towards Armenians is a clear
example of the continuation of earlier governments' devastating
policies towards minority groups, whose rights are guaranteed by the
1923 Treaty of Lausanne [signed between Turkey and six other states
following the Turkish War of Independence]. Unfortunately, even today,
this genocider perception of the Republic of Turkey still continues
without being subject to any particular change,' the activist added.
In televised remarks on Aug. 6, ErdoÄ?an said: `Let all Turks in Turkey
say they are Turks and all Kurds say they are Kurds. What is wrong
with that? You wouldn't believe the things they have said about me.
They have said I am Georgian. ...They have said even uglier things --
they have called me -- excuse me for saying this -- Armenian, but I am
Turkish.'
This statement from the Turkish president, in which he apologized
before using the word `Armenian' as though asking to be excused before
uttering a swear word, drew the ire of not only Armenians but also
other minority groups in Turkey.
Members of Dur-De commemorate the victims of Sept. 6-7
A ceremony to commemorate the victims of the events of Sept. 6-7,
1955, a large-scale attack on Turkey's minority populations living in
Ä°stanbul, was held by Dur De on Ä°stanbul's famed Ä°stiklal Street in
the lively neighborhood of Taksim on Saturday. Speaking at the
meeting, Gonca Å?ahin, a member of the association, told the press that
minorities in Turkey have always been under pressure and subject to
discriminatory practices. `The Republic of Turkey must apologize for
the Sept. 6-7 incidents, and all discriminatory practices towards
minority groups must come to a halt,' Å?ahin told the press.
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_minorities-new-turkey-discourse-continuation-of-sept-6-7-incidents_357982.html