Muslim - Christian populations
Reader comment on item: Is Turkey Going Islamist?
in response to reader comment: Turkey

Submitted by Irem (Germany), Feb 9, 2006 at 11:26

Paul said
"They have committed two known genocides. The Armenians around 1915 of which there were millions. In the 1950s they did the same to the remaining Greeks,.

There are virtually no NON MUSLIMS left ie less tha 1% of Turkey. What happened to the 100% Christians that once inhabited that land. "

What happened in 1955 was not a genocide. For people who dont know the events; the stores of nonmuslims(mostly greek) in some districts of Istanbul are plundered at one night possibly triggered by high tension in Cyprus and a provocative rumour about a bombing attack to Atatürk's home in Thessaloniki.

Quoted from www.wikipedia.org

" During the 1940s and 1950s, Cypriots began to demand union with Greece. The Greek community held referenda in support of annexation, while the British sought to quell any movement which could threaten their possession of the island. In 1955 the struggle erupted into guerrilla activity with the foundation of EOKA, and in the closing years of the 1950s the political and intercommunal atmosphere on the island became increasingly fraught.
...
EOKA (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston, in English National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters) was a Greek Cypriot nationalist organisation.....
....
The objective of EOKA [1] was to drive the British out of the island first and then integrate the island to Greece by destroying the Turkish community with a massive annihilation. EOKA initiated its activities by planting the first bombs on 1 April 1951 with the directive by Greek Foreign Minister Stefanopulos. " //under the titles Cyprus and EOKA

the regretable event in 1955(it is known as 6-7 September events in Turkey) led most of the greeks leave the country and immigrate to Greece and USA. Personally, I feel really sorry about what happened in 1955. In last years many of documentaries, books, exhibitions, newpaper articles showed up in turkish public media condemning and regarding the events shameful.

Another response to Paul

So well, what happened to the millions of muslims in Balkans and Caucasia in 19th century. Are they massacred, is it a GENOCIDE?
No, some of them died during years long wars(Balkan I, II, WW I, Ottoman-Russian ), some left after wars when Ottomans lost the territores, and the remaining like my grandparents(from Thessaloniki, Skopje, Chios(a greek island)) moved to new Republic of Turkey due to the exchange of populations(based on religion not ethnicity including gypsies) following the Greco-Turkish war of 1920-22 with some exception(West Trace Turks, Istanbul Greeks). As a consequence, the muslim population in contemporary turkish territories doubled maybe tripled up, while it shrinked in Balkans. The same happened to Greek population in Anatolia.

The changes in demographic statistics are not always a sign of a genocide. We must first learn the history and then talk about it.

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