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Sunday, May 8, 2011

Referring to Turkey as Turkey Minor actually makes sense!

Recently I made the decision of referring to Turkey as Minor Turkey. It prompted an angry response from a Turkish blogger who accused me of "[believing in my] own biological superiority and [Turkish] inferiority, that Nazis thought similarly, concluding that, as Hitler also believed, one has to use military power to crush those with an attitude like mine.

Allow me to offer a brief explanation for my decision to refer to Turkey as Minor Turkey, although the order of the words should be reversed to read 'Turkey Minor'.

First, Turkey Minor is a name not foreign to the region bringing to mind Minor Asia or Asia Minor, also called Anatolia, taking up a large part of the Asian part of Turkey. Many great historical people, like the Hittites, Greeks, Persians, Armenians, Romans, Goths, ByzantinesKurds and Turks, have lived in or occupied Asia Minor.The Roman Empire had a province called Asia, which was in Asia Minor. Later people started to call the entire continent Asia, so the peninsula Asia was called Asia Minor (little Asia). In my native language, Greek, 'Asia Minor' reads as 'Minor Asia' (Μικρά Ασία) which explains my adopting initially the name 'Minor Turkey'. The correct name thus is 'Turkey Minor', as opposed to the other way around.

Second, Turkey Minor unilaterally addresses Cyprus or the Republic of Cyprus as Greek Cyprus, to make room for an illegal statelet in illegally occupied Cyprus, a "country" Turkey Minor alone in the world recognizes. My advice to Turks is to allow people, especially Cypriots, to be as liberal with their own country's name. As the saying goes, if you can't take it, then don't dish it out.

Third, Turkey Minor better reflects the realities of the country, whereby Kurdistan or the eastern part of the country is not represented in the decision making bodies. Turkey Minor neglects the interests and rights [community, cultural, civic] of 25% of the country's population, representing only the national interests of ethnic Turks, thus earning it the new name. 

I prefer Turkey Minor better than Turkish Turkey. Do you feel otherwise?

Find below the comment that prompted this post, as well as the link to the comments' section.
The Economist | Overheating The economy is not a big election issue, but it badly needs cooling down The Turkish economy May 5th 2011 | ISTANBUL

Fahrettin Tahir wrote: May 8th 2011 9:00 GMT

"this "minor Turkey" stuff is interesting. It reflects the guy's belief in his own biological superiority and our inferiority.

The Nazis had the same view. They believed that they were biologically so superior that they could actualyy win a war against the rest fo the World.

The Greeks of Cyprus have the same attitude which is why they picked the fight with Turkey. This man writes in his blog that he has dedicated his life to fighting the Turks. He keeps writing of the ways in which he thinks the Cypriot Greeks are superior to Turkey.

Hitler demonstrated that if that attitude picks a fight with you you have to use military power to crush them. Politics will not work."

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