• In the last 20 years Turkey has nostalgically promoted its war industry with the main aim of once again becoming a major regional power in order to impose its will on its neighbours – and not only. A large part of the Turkish ruling class maintains the medieval mentality

A half a millennium regressive empire

Last year we celebrated the 200th anniversary the 1821 Greek uprising. But how did we end up in a centuries-old Turkish slavery? What problems did it bequeath us? And what shall we do with them in the future? Let’s consider things in an historical order.

Although the Seljuks had long harassed Byzantium, the Battle of Manzikert (1071) was the turning point in favor of Turkish rule and the decline of Byzantium in Asia Minor.

The Crusades, and especially the 4th (1204), caused the plundering, collapse and sharing of the Byzantine state which had always been the breakwater of Christian Europe against invaders from the east and south. This predatory and myopic attitude of the Westerners allowed the Turks to conquer what was left of Byzantium and then to seriously threaten them.

For example the Ottoman army besieged Vienna twice (1529 and 1683) and the Mediterranean Sea was largely controlled for over 200 years by the Ottoman fleet and Muslim pirates.

However, the long-term (16th-18th centuries) Ottoman Peace (Pax Ottomana), based initially on intelligent administration and tolerance and later on arbitrariness and terror, was not properly exploited. As a result, Ottoman rule was perhaps the worst thing that could happen to the conquered territories:

Violence, genocide, religious discrimination, imposition of a steppe culture on advanced Christian populations, child abuse, destruction or withering of cultures*, lack of substantial rule of law, confiscations, looting, poverty, over taxation, illiteracy, corruption, lack of public dialogue, lack of infrastructures, conservatism and decadent indifference led the Ottoman Empire to severe underdevelopment compared to the states of Western and Central Europe.

Absolutely none of the former Ottoman vassal countries, not even Turkey itself, can reduce the distance from the West. They are haunted by the deep-rooted Ottoman institutions for six centuries, corruption and a subservient mentality. A comparison of the level of the Venetian-occupied rural Eptanisa Islands in 1830 with mainland Greece, to a large extent confirms the above conclusions.

The 600 years of Ottoman rule did not contribute anything of value to world culture. There was a lack of interest in non-Islamic education, in science and technology, in infrastructures, lack of interest in the emergence of new institutions and cultural values.

Although ordinary Muslim citizens were generally on good terms with Christians, the same was not the case with the ruling class, whose main concern was and still is how to stay in power and collect money.

The new Turkish State (1923), despite its seeming western orientation, maintains the conquering behavior of the Ottomans. In the last 20 years Turkey has nostalgically promoted its war industry with the main aim of once again becoming a major regional power in order to impose its will on its neighbours – and not only. A large part of the Turkish ruling class maintains the medieval mentality.

The European countries who cooperate with Turkey behave as short-sighted and compromising as did the Anglo-French did when they tolerated the rising Hitler and the USA who “woke up” China and helped it develop in order to crop huge short-term profits. Turkey is now blackmailing the West by instrumentalizing desperate immigrants and by buying Russian S-400 missiles. Nonetheless, some westerners still offer them support and advice.

Our own response to Turkish pursuits

Given the above, what can Greece do?

1. It is a precondition to obtain a strong economy so that there are the means for an effective defense with state-of-the-art equipment and training means. To strengthen our war industries with money and meritorious personnel and administration. To promote military research and innovations.

2. The ruling Turkish elite do not accept us as an equal interlocutor: it sees us as a former slave who did mischief and the time is coming for him to return regretful to the arms of mother Turkey. However, they do not risk an attack unless they are certain that they will win easily. So they they lurk and choose the right moment when the conditions are not favorable to the opponent (see Cyprus invasion in 1974).

Therefore, we must constantly have the appropriate preparation and propaganda so that they think that they will not take a simple walk. But above all we must have a single attitude and unity throughout time as a single fist: the one that gave us victory in 1940.

3. To reverse the attitude of appeasing the threats we receive because Turks perceive it as a weakness and they demand more and more. Let them know that every provocation or unreasonable demand will not go unanswered (see Israel). On the other hand, we also have important requests (e.g. their gradual removal from Cyprus based on the UN resolutions). “We claim nothing” is not a valid negotiating basis. We claim what is rightfully ours. Even reparations for displaced populations.

4. To prepare our people and especially the young for what we should do if we are attacked (see Switzerland and Israel). To demonstrate that “we are not asleep”. We want good relations but not on dictated terms.

5. To seek alliances with the powerful but not to expect that they will solve our own problem without compensation or on their own initiative or with active support.

6. To better organize our information services, and public relations. For example, the relative similarity of DNA between Greece and Asia Minor and the massive change of 28,000 toponyms by the Neo-Turks show the high degree of Turkification of the Greek and other populations of Asia Minor. We should constantly display these so that their Turkic population considers us as blood relatives.

7. Finally, to end our tolerance for provocative statements and visits by Turkish officials to the Muslims of Thrace. If they persist in provoking us within our own territory, let them be denied access. Which is what they would do too.

*See Altuğ Taner Akçam: https://christianpersecution.com/turkey/hagia-sophia-whats-being-performed-here-is-an-act-of-cultural-vandalism/

Dimitris Ar. Kazis – Dipl. Eng. NTUA, M.Sc.`- University of London, DIC – Imperial College