Turkish foundation properties in Dodecanese are sold or their names are changed
Mustafa Kaymakçı, President of the Rhodes, Kos and Dodecanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association, stated that the Turkish foundation properties, especially on the islands of Rhodes and Kos, were sold and their names were changed.
Kaymakçı said, "As an association, we strongly condemn the name change and the sale of foundation properties through tribute and auction, and we demand the Greek State to put an end to the cultural genocide policies applied to the Turks of Rhodes and Kos." used the phrases.
In his written statement, Kaymakçı stated that the name of the Süleymaniye Madrasa in Rhodes was changed to "Neoclassical school in the historical city of Rhodes", according to the Rodaiki newspaper, and the owner of the building was changed to the Dodecanese Governorate instead of the Rhodes Turkish Foundation.
In addition to this, Kaymakçı emphasized that Turkish and Muslim foundation properties in Rhodes and Kos were sold and said, "As an association, we strongly condemn the name change and the sale of foundation properties for tribute-auction.
We demand the Greek state to put an end to the policies of cultural genocide against the Turks of Rhodes and Kos," he said.
Referring to a land being sold in Kos, Kaymakçı said:
"In the past months, 34 decares of land on Kos Island was sold to a tourism company for 181,000 Euros with the approval of Kos Foundation Property Administration. The decision to sell, taken in January 2019, has been officially completed. With this illegal sale, more than 70 lands belonging to the Kos Turkish-Muslim Foundation have been transferred and sold to municipalities for the purpose of parks, parking lots and cemeteries.”
Kaymakçı reminded that Turkish-Muslim foundations in Rhodes and Kos are subject to tax, unlike other foundations, like commercial establishments. President Kaymakçı said, "On the other hand, Orthodox Christian church institutions and churches are exempt from all kinds of taxes. It is observed that there is no equality here.
This unfair practice has turned into a mechanism to create an excuse for the disposal of foundation properties." he added.
Pointing out that the Turkish foundations in Greece should be managed in accordance with the agreements, Kaymakçı noted that foundation properties cannot be bought, sold, owned or divided into inheritance, and that the sales and donations made so far should be considered invalid.
NO TURKISH EDUCATION
Kaymakçı also stated that Turkish children in Rhodes and Kos are prevented from learning Turkish at schools and used the following statements:
"All these practices are done to break the connection of the island Turks with the past. Turks living in Rhodes and Kos, which were given to Greece today, are on the verge of losing their Turkishness, aside from preserving their cultural identity, including foundations. Fear is dominant among the Turks of the Islands and they are intimidated."
