by Nikos Doukas

Ankara mounted new persecutions against the Pontian muslims, apparently within the scope of the much-advertised "friendship" towards the Kemalist regime. The Turkish authorities forbade the circulation of a book touching on the special cultural identity of the Pontians, while the Turkish gendarmerie has launched a campaign of intimidation and threats in the Pontus region.

Since 1996 the book "Pontos Kulturu" (The Culture of Pontus) of the Pontian writer Omer Asan has been on the bookstore windows in Turkey. We had suggested in November 2001 the Greek edition of the book in our book recommendations. It is a description of the Pontian dialect, the closest to the Ancient Greek spoken today language, the Pontian cuisine and jokes from the Pontian villages. The book was extremely popular in Turkey, especially among the Pontians, and was almost out of print. The author Omer Asan comes from the Greek-speaking area Of in Trapezous (Trebizond).

On 19th January in the TV programme "Ceviz Kabugu" (The nutshell), organized by the journalist Halki Cevizioglu of the Turkish channel ATV, Omer Asan was threatened by the representatives of the Turkish "Nationalist Action Party" (MHP), the notorious killers "Grey Wolves", and was forced to walk out. The Turkish Justice ordered the confiscation of the book and brought in an indictment against the writer Omer Asan and the publisher Ragip Zarakoglu for "insulting the person of Kemal". The Turkish minister of Justice Sami Tur, trying to excuse for the prosecution, commented that "nobody threatens Pontus (Karadeniz) and the relevant talk is excessive". Omer Asan was subjected to long-drawn-out interrogation, but no evidence turned up against him.

To justify the anti-Pontian campaign, the Turkish military made up "Pontian guerillas". On 5th December 2001 the Kerasous (Giresun) military governor brigadier Bakir Onurlubas claimed that "there are Greek secret plans for Pontus and the main reason Greece wants to open a consulate in Trapezous (Trebizond) is the wish to support the Pontus activities". In January the Constantinople (Istanbul) garrison commander Ali Giungior Ongioren said that "35 young men from the Pontus (Karadeniz) region support the separatist movement "Greek Pontus" and are trained in camps in Greece". Of course the Greek socialist government has not developed the slightest activity in Pontus, perhaps because it is so busy with the "friendship" activities towards the Kemalist regime. The statement was simply the occasion for the gendarmerie to mount a new wave of threats against the Greek-speaking Pontian muslims. According to the Federation of Pontians in Greece "in the 300 Greek-speaking villages in Pontus a negative climate reigns, pushing the Pontians to a new escape to Greece".

Links The controversial book of Omer Asan History and culture of Pontus TV channel ATV "Nationalist Action Party" (Grey Wolves)

Many of the Pontian muslims do not have a Greek national consciousness, but a simple consciousness of their special cultural identity. However the Kemalist regime does not tolerate any question of the exlusively Turkish Asia Minor myth it has constructed. Turkey deprives the Greek-speaking Pontian muslims of the elementary human rights (protection of customs, language and monuments). The prosecution against Omer Asan is the best opportunity for the Greek "minority" rights activists to prove their good intentions. What do the "Abdi Ipekci" award committee and the Greek Helsinki Watch have to say about the issue? In view of the Turkish persecutions against the Greek-speaking Pontian muslims, their silence tantamounts to complicity.

The anti-Pontian persecutions of Turkey should not go unanswered. Already the Center of Pontian Studies launched an appeal for solidarity with Omer Asan. It is the duty of the Pontian refugees' associations in Greece to bring the issue before the international organizations. The Greek government should raise the question in the Greek-Turkish talks, instead of discussing the endless absurd Turkish demands. The Hellenic Front follows with intense anxiety the latest developments in Pontus. Let everyone know that the times when the Turkish little tin gods "buried" such issues in common with Greek tricky politicians are gone for good.