Open letter from ROISDER President Kaymakçı to Mendoni
Kaymakçı explained that he wrote the letter in reference to the speech made by MP Fotini Pipili during the 98th session of the Parliament on Monday 22 March 2022.
In his letter, Kaymakçı also provides extensive information on the legal status of Kos and Dodecanese Turks and the violations they face.
The letter dated 10 June 2024 and signed by ROISDER President Kaymakçı is as follows:
"Dear Lina Mendoni 10 June 2024
Ministry of Culture and Sports
Mpoumpoulinas 20-22 Str,
106 82 Athens
Attention: At the end of the report https://www.minedu.gov.gr/publications/docs2020/%CE%88%CE%BA%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%83%CE%B7%202019_opt.pdf regarding the speech made by Mr Fotini Pipili, MP, at the 98th Parliamentary Session on Monday 22 March 2022.
Mrs Minister,
In my previous letters to you, I wrote that among the aims of our association are "restoring the rights of the island Turks to learn Turkish in schools on the basis of bilingualism, assisting the organisations working for the survival, protection and restoration of the cultural artefacts of the Ottoman Turks on the islands, taking initiatives to protect all kinds of cultural rights, including the protection and preservation of cultural heritage in its original form".
I had said that one of our aims in carrying out our work is "to help the development of friendship and co-operation between the Turkish and Greek Peoples and in this context, it is our wish to build friendship between both countries on solid foundations".
Mrs Minister,
The reason why I am writing to you this time is because of the speech made by Mrs Fotini Pipili, MP, at the 98th Parliamentary Session on Monday 22 March 2022 at the end of the report https://www.minedu.gov.gr/publications/docs2020/%CE%88%CE%BA%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%83%CE%B7%202019_opt.pdf.
However, before reflecting on my discussions on this subject, I would like to remind you of a few documents and researches that do not confirm the thesis that there are no Turks on the islands according to Greek official policy.
Mrs Minister,
On the subject of "There are Turks in the Dodecanese", I will content myself with presenting you only four recent foreign documents, apart from Turkish documents, and a document I have quoted from a Greek author.
The first of these is the "Decisions of the Council of Europe on the Status of Greek Citizens of Turkish Origin in Rhodes and Kos"[1].
The second is Willy Fautré's report titled "Greece: Ethnic Turks in Rhodes and Kos"[2].
The third is Kira Kaurinkoski's "Ethnic Turks in Kos and Rhodes: Reflections on Culture and Rights"[3].
The fourth is Panayote Dimitras' "The Turkish Minority in Rhodes and Kos: Recognition in the International Arena - Persecution in Greece"[4].
The fifth one belongs to the first announcement issued by Major Konstantinos Krekoukias, the Commander of the Military Administration of Kos, after Rhodes and Kos was handed over to Greece in 1947. In the announcement, Krekoukais states; "We wish to live in harmony and brotherly love with the Turkish inhabitants of Kos Island." He says.
Mrs Minister,
At the end of the report https://www.minedu.gov.gr/publications/docs2020/%CE%88%CE%BA%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%83%CE%B7%202019_opt.pdf, we have learned that Mrs Fotini Pipili, MP, in her speech at the 98th Parliamentary Session on Monday 22 March 2022, made very ugly remarks about the letter sent by the Rhodes, Kos and Dodecanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Accordingly, the fact that the answer to the parliamentarian's parliamentary question on the subject is shared as an annex in the report shows the discomfort with the initiatives of civil society organisations in the international arena. This situation reveals an intolerant approach towards civil society and also points directly to the prejudice and hateful attitude towards the representatives of the Turkish community in Rhodes-Istankoy.
Mrs Minister,
As you know; "Non-governmental organisations or civil society organisations are non-profit organisations that operate independently of and outside of official institutions, work through lobbying, persuasion and action in line with their political, social, cultural, legal and environmental objectives, recruit their members and employees on a voluntary basis, and generate their income from donations or membership payments.
Civil society organisations operate under the names of chambers, trade unions, foundations and associations. Foundations and associations are legal communities established to develop a useful service to the society".
In this context, the main purpose of our association is to work towards the acceptance of our kinsmen living in Rhodes and Kos with Turkish identity.
Mrs Minister,
I am a scientist. Science investigates cause-effect relationships and is objective. In international relations, the validity of a thesis is based on treaties, historical science, sociological facts and documents in the light of these.
Therefore, as an association, we carry out our work with the basic principles I have mentioned and we have never and will never make unethical evaluations against our interlocutors. We see the evaluations made by Mr Fotini Pipili about our association as a reflection of a fascist tendency as well as unethical. As you know, fascism is a doctrine that aims to establish an order of oppression based on a distorted nationalism.
On the other hand, although I believe that the Greeks, who fought heroically against the fascist armies in the Second World War, do not share this view, I would like to express my disappointment that the answer given to the parliamentary question on the subject in the report is shared as an annex.
I would like to inform you of the situation.
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kaymakçı
President"
[1] Resolution adopted by the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 9 March 2012 entitled "Council of Europe Conclusions on the Situation of Greek Citizens of Turkish Descent in Rhodes and Kos: The Situation of the Greek Citizens of Turkish descent in Rhodes and Kos".
[2] Fautre W. 2017. "Greece: Ethnic Turks in Rhodes and Kos". Publications of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) and Rhodes, Kos and Dodecanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association. Brussels, January 2017.
[3] Kaurinkoski, K., 2018. "Ethnic Turks in Kos and Rhodes: Reflections on Culture and Rights". Kaymakçı, Mustafa, Cihan Özgün (Ed.,) (In.,) "The Forgotten People of the Aegean Islands: Rhodes and Kos Turks" (In.,). Rhodes, Kos and Dodecanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association. Eğitim Publishing House, Konya.p.141-159
[4] Dimitras, P., 2018 . "International Recognition - Persecution in Greece: The Turkish Minority in Rhodes and Kos". Kaymakçı, M., C. Özgün (Ed.,) (In.,) "The Forgotten People of the Aegean Islands: Rhodes and Kos Turks" (In.,). Rhodes, Kos and Dodecanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association. Eğitim Publishing House, Konya. pp. 99-105
