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France betrayed the Syrians in 1938-1939

Reader comment on item: Is the Hatay/Alexandretta Problem Solved?
in response to reader comment: Capital of Hatay

Submitted by Bassam Michael Madany (United States), Jul 20, 2016 at 17:38

I was born in Seleucia (Souedia in Arabic), the port city of Antioch, mentioned in the Book of Acts 13:4. I grew up in Alexandretta (1934-1939). The city was the most cosmopolitan place in Syria. The population was primarily Arabic-speaking Christian Syrians, with Alawites and Armenians minorities. The educational institutions were mostly run by French, Italian, and British groups. Alex functioned as a seaport for Aleppo whose merchants imported their goods through its port.

During summer months, most residents would go to nearby summer resorts escaping the humidity and the very high temperatures. Ataturk was bent on occupying the Province, and managed to do that notwithstanding the results of the plebiscite conducted by the League of Nations after one year of living under Turkish occupation during which all schools were forced to teach modern Turkish, including the National Anthem, most of us left the Province not wanting to lose our age-long identity that we had maintained during 400 years of Ottoman rule.

Turkey tried to obliterate our past, changing the name of my birthplace from Seleucia to Samandag! More than 70 years later, I still miss my homeland, especially the orchards of the family that grew olive trees, oranges, plums, figs, peaches, and by the canal from the Orontes River, the large pomegranate bushes!

Submitting....

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Reader comments (32) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Turkey, İskenderun (Hatay) and Cyprus [256 words]J. J. Kaplan, AmsterdamJan 20, 2022 04:51278392
Turkey has No Right to Alexandretta [86 words]Karl MarxMar 29, 2021 01:16265134
Succession of Empires - Anatolia Always at the Crossroads of History [204 words]M ToveyMar 29, 2021 17:54265134
CMH not Jewish [29 words]MarcusOct 24, 2013 09:36210926
2A SHAB FROM ISKANDERUN [41 words]HaiderDec 25, 2011 21:46192032
1Arab Alexandretta [75 words]Fadi YasineJun 28, 2011 23:26186883
1Capital of Hatay [118 words]Tim LockSep 29, 2011 17:00186883
France betrayed the Syrians in 1938-1939 [214 words]Bassam Michael MadanyJul 20, 2016 17:38186883
I'd always bet on journalistic incompetence [28 words]Abu NudnikJun 21, 2011 12:20186540
1hatay itself chose to join Turkey [16 words]abdüsselamJan 2, 2011 19:06181467
4The 1939 Phoney Referendum Administered by the Turks & their small Community in Al Iskandaruna [81 words]Fadi YasineFeb 14, 2011 19:47181467
1nice place to live [148 words]JohnnyMay 10, 2010 17:01172524
Reply to Mehmet Ali kucuk [23 words]Turk SIlahli KuvvetleriApr 2, 2009 10:48153178
5Alexandretta is a part of Kurdistan [90 words]Mehmet Ali KUCUKJun 29, 2007 13:34101958
2hatay and the kurds [89 words]ibrahimMar 24, 2008 07:25101958
1Mehmet Wake Up and look around [252 words]OttomanNov 16, 2008 05:40101958
Reply to mr KUCUK [74 words]Fadi YasineJun 28, 2011 23:46101958
Hatay [258 words]husaynJul 31, 2016 21:04101958
intransigence [66 words]Yuval Brandstetter MDJan 2, 2007 17:4571456
Hatay Province Status [22 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Jack BergerJan 1, 2007 15:2371337
1hatay [31 words]iboMar 24, 2008 07:3271337
7hatay is part of kurdistan and most people of hatay are kurds [80 words]karwanNov 8, 2008 15:0271337
1Hatay is not kurdistan, but it may have kurds [30 words]allenFeb 9, 2009 23:3371337
1Hatay isn´t a part of Kurdestan [36 words]TurkestannJun 16, 2009 14:3971337
2Hatay isnt a part of Kurdistan [152 words]A man from HatayOct 14, 2011 12:1871337
REPLY TO KARWAN [15 words]Cosanostra JabbourDec 25, 2011 20:4871337
3Hatay is a only gate on the sea for new Kurdistan republic [52 words]samanOct 6, 2012 14:5771337
3Kurds are from Hittite royalty [698 words]husaynJul 26, 2013 17:5071337
1Kurds [212 words]husaynJan 23, 2014 19:4971337
Foul reasoning [52 words]Petar PanFeb 6, 2015 14:4171337
kurds are from Hittite royalty [110 words]husaynMar 25, 2015 15:1271337
kurds [190 words]husaynJul 17, 2016 11:5871337

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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