Demokritos University of Thrace (DUTh) appears to be involved in a crusade against Turks or anything to do with Turks and Turkey. A web site dedicated to "Turkish crimes" of this century, describing Turks as evil Mongols, uncivilised nomad who brought violence and destruction to Greece and Europe. Why is this blatant propaganda against Turks coming from Thrace? This is an area where according to the Greek Foreign ministry (www.mfa.gr) 50 percent of its population is of Turkish origin, some 60.000 Greek citizens of Turkish decent. Does the Demokritos university staff think that the Greekness and sovereignty of Thrace is in dispute? Do they feel in dire need to reassert their ethnic identity on the expense of the Turkish origin minority in Thrace? On the other hand they think that this will promote the peaceful coexistence of Greek and Turkish communities and racial harmony in Thrace?

This is a sheer propagation of prejudice against Turks. The DUTh web pages have completely omitted the minorities in Thrace, the multicultural and multiethnic aspects of Thracian life. There seems to be only one mention as far as the minorities, the ancient Greek race of Pomaks, who despite many prosecutions by Turks maintain some of their ethnic Greek identity. The web pages have been concentrated on ethnicity, religion and Greek Orthodox ethnic identity. But I wonder don't the DUTh staff do any studies with the minority, any cultural, social anthropological, etc. studies that would be of some interest to us and to others. What they seem to be interested in is the 'Turkish Crimes of Our Century' (http://imia.cc.duth.gr). We all know by now that Turks are inherently evil, barbaric, etc. courtesy of Demokritos University of Thrace.

The only aim of DUTh web pages located at http://imia.cc.duth.gr/ is to propagate a jingoistic view of history. These web pages, work of an Asia Minor Refugees Coordination Committee, with no further details. Is this an academic research based at the University of Thrace, there is no way of knowing or are they purely a front for this jingoistic history, a register of crimes seen through a tinted glass of nationalism.

In these pages there is an obvious demonisation and dehumanization of Turks. They are the Mongolic barbarians; an uncivilized race, descended from the mountains of Mongolia, bringing savagery and destruction to Europe. Their biggest crime was the invasion of Constantinople (sic), for which history certainly will not forgive them. This is the end of civilisation, or so they would have you believe. We are not too clear whether this is the end of Hellenistic or Byzantine civilization.

Turks besides being barbarous and an inherently violent race, also happen to be Muslims. Islam, a backward religion of dark ages, which promotes violence and a centuries old threat to the civilised Christian world. Turks and Islam, you could not find a worst combination in the history of humanity. This Turkish-Islamic race set out to undermine the whole of civilisation and build a New World order based on backwardness, exploitation, degradation and savagery. Demokritos University of Thrace, as an educational institution is taking its duty very seriously. It is only right to warn the civilised world of the impending danger of Mongolic Turkish -Muslims.

The page on 'Thrace of Hellas - A Short History" (www.duth.gr/Thrace/thrace.html) apparently written by A. Bakalidis we find out that:

"Unfortunately progress is abruptly halted by the Ottoman Turks invasion, the allure of Constantinople (1453 AD) and the violent en-Muslims of entire areas. Thrace then has a dark period of Turkish occupation where nothing worth mentioning ever happens. After all, the land was too close to the Capital of the Ottoman Empire (now called Istanbul so as not to remind of the old glorious city that the Turks had destroyed)."

How did the present day Greeks of Thrace and Greece survived this 'violent en-Muslims' one wonders. This is a period in history where time stood still, where nothing worth mentioning ever happens, except of course the Turkish savagery. What in fact had happened to the Greeks who become Muslims during that period can be found in the Travelogue of Xanthi area (www.duth.gr/gr/od/od2.html), the text in Greek reads:

"Oi Pomakoi proin Xristianoi (exislamistikan eneka ths bias kai tis anankis prin 200 me 300 xronia) hthelan anekathen na ensomatothoun stin Ellinikh koinonia. Emeis oi arxontoxoriates tous perifronisame opos perifronisame oli tin Elliniki eparxia gia na ginoume Athinaioi. Kai auto pithanon sintomos na plirothie me timima megalo."

("The Pomaks who were formerly Christian (violently and because of need, forced to become Muslims 200 to 300 years ago) all along they wanted to be incorporated into the Greek society. We the petit bourgeois, treated them with disdain, as we disregard the other Hellenic provinces in order to become Athenians. And for this, perhaps soon, there is going to be a high price to pay".)

The traveler (www.duth.gr/gr/od/od2.html) finds the Pomaks blond, blue eyed and white skinned, perfect Arian physical characteristics, this certainly excludes them from being Turks. However Pomaks, diligent, hospitable people, who still cross their bread and in order to make offerings to Virgin Mary, cannot be Slavs either, they are far too civilised for that. There is an obvious question that comes to mind, how could Pomaks be Greeks? Blue eyes, white skin and blonde-haired; these characteristics are not at all common in Greece. This is not the Mediterranean dark look that we are familiar with (further details on Pomaks at "Thracian Minorities: Historical Background"). However, what about the Turks in Thrace? Is Greece harboring barbarous Turks inside the country? We are reassured once more, this minority in fact is not a Turkish Minority but a Muslim one, where a tiny fraction of them happen to be Turks, who are manipulated by the Turkish propaganda and claim Turkish ethnic identity. According to this traveler, Muslims in Thrace are not as dangerous as the rest of the Turks. At least we played no part in the atrocities committed by Turkey, as Apostolos Kaklamanis, President of the Greek Parliament, explains:

"The Muslim minority has no responsibility for the genocides committed by Turkey in the first part of the century" (Macedonian News Agency, 19/06/97).

I am wondering about this university as an Educational institution, its function within Thrace, its relations, studies, etc. regarding the minority. Their web pages concentrated on advocating hate against Turks any form and shape. Why this is in Thrace, why not somewhere else in another Greek university, is that a coincidence? Why in Thrace with some 60,000 Turks (figures from the Greek foreign ministry web pages)? What are these Turkish minority members supposed to make of this type approach, especially from an educational institution? Is it too much to expect certain discretion if not objectivity?

The general attitude of DUTh web pages, as mentioned above, has a very narrow nationalistic view of history and the general facts. The web pages are mainly focused on Greek ethnic identity, religion, evil Turks threatening Greece and Europe. It does not surprise me the fact that there is not a single mention of the minorities in Thrace. In this very nationalistic scope, differing views and cultures, especially in this case Turkish and people with Turkish identity, have no place. There appears to be only one mention, the old ancient race of Pomaks. This type of approach from an educational, supposedly academic institution is deplorable and sad.

As a Turk and Greek citizen I find this nationalistic approach by the University of Thrace offensive, prejudiced and totally unacceptable. The University of Thrace undermines the rights, sentiments, feelings, and ethnic identity of the Turkish origin citizens of Greece.

by. N. Tsolak