How do Turkish people feel about Greek Independence Day? ("Auditur et altera pars")

Bülent Özgönenel

·

March 29, 2019

I have learned several languages on my own

How do Turkish people feel about Greek Independence Day?

Interestingly, neither the Greeks nor the Turks call ‘Greek Independence’ with a term that means ‘independence’, and the terms they choose reflects the understanding of each side. The Greeks call it ‘επανάσταση’, which actually means ‘revolution’ and the Turks call it ‘isyan’, which means rebellion. From the Greek point of view (or perhaps Kapodistrias’s view), this was more of a revolutionary than a nationalist movement aimed against an oppressive and absolutist regime. From the Ottoman point of view, this was an unnecessarily bloody rebellion, fomented by foreign powers. Whatever the initial points of view may be, Greek Independence was the spark for many revolutions and rebellions that troubled the Ottoman Empire to its dying day. Greek Independence led the way to constitutional reforms within the Ottoman Empire including the Tanzimat declaration, parliamentary monarchy, and finally declaration of the Turkish Republic. Ironically, Mustafa Kemal and his comrades were the last of the rebels against the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, Greek Independence can be viewed as the spark for a set of events that finally led to Turkish Independence!

Unlike the independence movement of many of the other nations, Greek independence was a prolonged effort, that perhaps still continues. For Serbs, Bulgarians, Albanians, Romanians, and Arabs, independence movement has already become part of the history, once their countries were established. However, Turks and Greeks historically shared a vast area, and bringing sections of this vast area under either of the parties led to multiple wars, ethnic cleansing by massacres and population exchanges, committed by both sides. The Turks of Greece (excepting the ones in Western Thrace and Rhodes) had to abandon their historical homes and move to Turkey. Greeks of Asia Minor and Istanbul (excepting a few Greeks on the Turkish islands) shared the same fate and moved to Greece. Cyprus became the last battlefield between Turks and Greeks, leading to the division of the island along ethnic lines. This prolonged Turkish-Greek conflict left bitter resentment on both sides, and few from either side look upon other’s historical achievements with approval. Turks and Greeks shaped each other’s national identity during the course of these endless conflicts, and their histories intertwine.

On a positive note, the younger generation on both sides lack the resentment of the older generations, and regard themselves as ‘separated children of a divorced couple’. If politicians do not mess things up with stupid agendas, the younger generations are more than willing for a reconciliation.

My older self tells me ‘never to forget history’.

My younger self tells me ‘always to forgive history’.