The discovery of new Greeks. The cases of Gagauz in Moldova and "Pontians" in Turkey

Year 2014, Volume 2 - Issue 4, 6 - 35, 17.04.2015

Lambros Baltsıotıs

https://doi.org/10.14486/IJSCS211

Abstract

This paper constitutes an effort to depict the policies exercised by the Greek State from the 1990s till the mid-2000s vis-à-vis two ethno-linguistic groups: the Turkish-speaking Orthodox Gagauz of Moldova and the Pontic-speaking Muslims of Eastern Black Sea. In addition, an attempt is made to interpret these policies, why and how they were launched, the purposes for which they were exercised and finally what they were aiming at. Our hypothesis is that the issue is not only connected to yet one more Greek-Turkish discord. We noticed that, beyond the dispute there are reasons relevant to the way the Greek nation, the national narrative and public history in Greece are constructed. That is the reason why emphasis is placed on the public discourse developing around these two groups.

Keywords

-

References

• Agtzides V. (1991, November). Report on the "Crypto-Christians" and Islamised Greeks in Turkey today. (Unpublished, in Greek)
• Agtzides V. (posted 2006, December). The Charalambides-Fotiades Group and the Pontic movement. In website Pontus and the Left [Πόντος και Αριστερά] (available at: http://pontosandaristera.wordpress.com/2006/12/25/haralampidis/#more-299, in Greek).
• Albayrak H. (2007). 1. Dünya Savaşında Doğu Karadeniz Muharebesi ve Of Direnişi. İstanbul: Babıali.
• Alexandris A. (1982). Pontic Greek Refugees in Constantinople 1922-1923: The Human Cost of the Exchange of Populations. Arheion Pontou, 37, 280-293.
• Alexander A. (1983). The attempt to create a Turkish-Orthodox Church in Cappadocia, 1921-1923. Bulletin of the Centre for Asia Minor Studies, 4, 159-199 (in Greek).
• Alexandrou D. (2005). Gagauzia: The Unknown Rums of Moldova. Reliable evidence. Thessaloniki: Erodios (in Greek).
• Ambatzis A. (ed.) ([2003]). Greek-Turkish Relations 2002. Annual Journal of Greek-Turkish and Cypriot affairs. Athens: Courier Editions (in Greek).
• Andreades Y. (1994). From Myth to Exodus. The Greeks of the Black Sea. Thessaloniki: Kyriakidis Bros (in Greek)
• Andrews P. A. (compilation and editing) with the cooperation of R. Benninghaus (1989). Greek-Speaking Muslims. Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey (pp. 145-147, 373-374). Wiesbaden: Dr Ludwig Reichert.
• Asan Ö. (1996). Pontos Kültürü. İstanbul: Belge.
• Baltsiotis L. (2013). "Greeks" or "not Greeks": The case of Greek-Orthodox from Hatay in Turkey. In L. Baltsiotis & L. Ventouras (eds.), Nation beyond frontiers. Kin-state policies of the Greek state, pp. 407-438. Athens: Vivliorama
• Bilgin M. (2008 [1st edition 2007]). Karadeniz'de Postomodern Pontusculuk. Istanbul: Doğu Kütüphanesi.
• Bryer A. (1983). The Crypro-Christians of the Pontos and the Consul William Gifford Palgrave of Trebizond, Bulletin of the Centre for Asia Minor Studies, 4, 13-68.
• Chinn J. & Roper S. D. (1998). Territorial Autonomy in Gagauzia. Nationalities papers, vol. 26, 1, 87-101.
• Fotiades N. G. (1996). Journey-Memories. Constantinople- Pontus- Cappadocia. Thessaloniki: Kyriakidis Bros (in Greek).
• Fotiades K. (1993). The Islamisations of Asia Minor and Pontus Crypro-Christians. Thessaloniki: Kyriakides Bros (in Greek)
• Fotiades K. (posted 2009, December 3). The clandestine hellenism of Pontus. In http://pontos-genoktonia.gr/%CE%BF-%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%B8%CF%81%CF%8C%CE%B2%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%82-%CF%82-%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85-%CF%80%CF%8C%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85 (in Greek)%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%B7%CE%BD%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C
• Güngör H. & Argunsah M. (1998). Gagauzlar. Istanbul: Ötüken.
• Ihrig S. (2005). Die Gagausen - Nation-building ohne Geschichte? Oder: Nation ohne nation-building? Jahrbücher für Geschichte und Kultur Südesteuropas 7, 75-99.
• Iordanoglou A. (1984-1985). The Gagauz and their origin. Bulletin of the Centre for Asia Minor Studies, 5, 391-409 (in Greek).
• Isayev M.I. (1977). National Languages in the USSR: Problems and Solutions. Moscow: Progress.
• Kostopoulos T. (2007). War and ethnic cleansing. The forgotten side of a ten-year national campaign. 1912-1922. Athens: Vivliorama (in Greek).
• Ktenides D. & Theodosioglou V. (1969). Folklore of the Thourio village in Didymoteicho Region, Thrakika, 107-145 (in Greek).
• Loukas N. (2005, October 22). Teaching Greek language among young Gagauz in Republic of Moldova during the academic year 2005-2006, (e-) memo (in Greek)
• Malkides F. (2006). National and International dimensions of Pontian Question. Athens: Gordios (in Greek).
• Neukrich C. (2002). Autonomy and Conflict Transformation: The Case of the Gagauz Territorial Autonomy in the Republic of Moldova. In Kinga G. (ed.), Minority Governance in Europe, Series on Ethnopolitics and Minority Issues [Budapest], vol. I, 105-123.
• Öztürk M. (2008). Türkiye'de Misyonerlik faaliyetleri. İsa'nın hain çocukları. İstanbul: Yeniyüzyıl.
• Papadopoulos B. E. (1942-1943). The Rights of Northern Thrace Hellenism, D΄ The Varna Case", Archives of Thracian Folklore and Language Thesaurus, vol. IX [Θ΄], 132-150.
• Pokrovskaya L.A. (1966), Гагаузский язык [The Gagauz language]. Языках Народов СССР. Vol. II.
• Poutouridou M. (1997-1998). The Of valley and the coming of Islam: The case of the Greek-speaking Muslims. Bulletin of the Centre for Asia Minor Studies. Vol. 12, 47-70.
• Tonev V. (1984). From the Past of Bulgarian-Greek Relations on the Western Black Sea Coast. Balkan Studies, 25, 2, 565-572.