First of all, when I was growing up, I had never seen Greece as threat. It is true that the school books I have read talked about the Greek invasion, but it was never hateful. In fact, it was always emphisized that Ataturk respected Greece after the war was over. The topics related to those times were mostly the internal response to the threat and the inaction of the Ottoman sultans. Hence my impression on the greeks were always of a brother who selected his separate path long time ago. I lived 2 hours away from the Agean sea. I spent lots of summers near Ayvalik and Edremit. I still remember watching the cartoons in English with Greek subtitles without understanding a word with my friends. All the people I grew up with never saw the Greeks as the enemy, eventhough my town was invaded and each year we celebrated the time Turkish army captured it back. It was never the Greeks, it was the enemy of an old time. Even in the Cyprus, it was cyproits (kibrisli rumlar) not the greeks (yunanlilar) that were making all those things. That view still exists, a few years ago some greeks visited my town to see their parents' old land before the population exchange. I have been told by my friends that they were very welcomed and happy to be seen. That was before the Foreign Groom. In fact, very existence of Foreing Groom shows what most of the Turks think.

Unfortunately, over the last couple of years I have seen a face that was very ugly and full of the hate. I really didn't know that Turks were so hated by some and every occasion were used to spill the poison. I should say that I was very dissappointed, one of the most disappointing moments was on this forum though. It was sad to read that one of the moderators, while responding to some message, told that we didn't have to like each other (I think it was he didn't have to like Turks to be exact). I believed then and I still believe that, for our future we have to learn to like each other. Otherwise, we will never trust each other and what happened for the last 40 years will repeat itself every ten years as most of the Greeks like to point out.

I was very naive before to dream that an equal union with Greece would have solved our problems. I never thought that a similar solution would have been possible with neighbors other than Greece. Of course, I knew that was an imposibility but I saw Greece as the only state that could had happened. Thanks to several Greek forumers, mostly on WAFF, militaryphotos and SK's forum and few ones here, I understand that it was even more impossible than I thought.

Unfortunately, nowadays whenever a topic about TV series, the Foreign Groom, raises in the talks with my friends, I remind them about the hatred I have seen in the forums and tell them about the weapons race between Turkey and Greece.

I think this message would have been approved whole heartly by all of my friends. I still believe that we are very similar, but I don't think Greeks hatred towards Turks will go away soon. I thank some very honorable members of this forum who I believe share my feelings and I really hope to meet them one day to shake their hands. Until then, I hope that the only media that I can reach to them, this forum, doesn't die away. Also I hope that in twenty years we will look back to these days and laugh until we cry.

By the way, if you care to respond this message, don't say Turks did this, Turks do that etc. I don't give it a f***.

Well said, Saladin. It was I who said we don't have to like eachother, but we do have to respect eachother. And that is the first step towards understanding and comprehending eachother.

You might not be surprised (then again maybe you are) that on Lesvos and many towns and cities across greece, its the same situation with regards to Turks. In Greece, and perhaps in Turkey its the same, but it seems that the farther you get from Turkey, the more people dislike her. Perhaps because they never had contact with her. But I'll bet you cents to euros that Greece had a hell of alot more Turkish kids in our schools than Turks have Greeks in theirs. I grew up with alot of Turk kids and most of us had them as our freinds. We never hated eachother, quite the opposite. Of course there is always that group that does hate, nomatter where you are in the world...

And BTW, just as you say you don't give a fack, nobody else has to either, and they don't have to like you or anyone. But they do have to respect you, or at least your right to your views... That is the basis of civilized interaction.

But dont give up my friend, there are always those of us who want friendship and see the hatred as the political game that it is. So keep up the spirit, and know that you have friends on this side of the Aegean :friendship:

Many things have happened between the 2 countrys and quite recently so it's quite accepted this hatred between us, you've been the conquerors we were the ones being conquered,we revolted and still things happen... it's simple as that. We must leave time heal each others wounds, the only factor that intervenes in the "healing" process are a few narrow headed guys who happen to govern both of us...But i think in the end and after the dust has settled everything will be ok.All we gotta do is to keep an eye on those governing us and never fear or hold back when we suspect our freedom or peace is to be taken away from us.You know once i saw a C.I.A map that in the agean region had only one country.... The Agean federation. Both Hellas and Turkey one country... You know i still have 2 shirts back from my service that say a good turk is a dead turk and another...At that time i believed that with all my heart now i look back at them and laugh but i always will be on guard becuase this hatred thing has entered both people's DNA...The only reason i joined this forum was because it was the only one that had a certain level and not the stupidity that characterizes others...It is only uppon us to make the difference.

Saladin, do not judge the feelings of an entire nation by a group of people in an internet forum. Especially if this group are overwhelmingly lovers of the military.
No I am not about to say that Greeks love Turks. They don't. But they do not hate them either. There is a lot of distrust and worry, mainly directed towards the Turkish "deep state" and in my opinion not without a cause.
There could never be a one to one union between our countries, you are right. A Turkey in the EU alongside Greece and Cyprus is possible IMO but there are a lot of things that Turkey would have to do. And I do not mean concessions to Greece but a change in outlook and mentality. The rest will come naturally.
But hey, why is it so important to both Turks and Greeks what others think of them? How they see them and what they feel about them?
Is it because deep down we are not satisfied with ourselves? I think yes. We need reassurance, we need flattering to not feel bad about our shortcomings. I think that if we work towards improving ourselves then the issue of what others think of us will become less important. And at the same time others will start liking us more.

And I thank you Brother for this words...

also i want to say +1 to Artis words...
dont judge a whole nation/relations etc etc on some military forums...

i have been in to greece 6 times
and some friend s come here one of the greek guys wife said in the street

hey every body looks like greek .

we look like each other.

same trafic jam . same arguments in the street loud talking.

when a good fotball ar basketball match happens u cant find any body in the street. same old woman always nags and talks allot.

still we have both have street bazars for shoping fresh food and vegetables.

look
some words as i remeber when we both hear we supriezed!!


turkish greek

sokak sokaki
liman limani
karides garides
kapuz karpuzi
piyasa piatza ( where people look for new friends in the street ;) )
dolma dolmas

lots of more.
We got also major difrences . but also lots of comon thing that we lived for 400 500 years together.
and exchanged alot.

Ý cant say greeks are bad and they arent . individuals can be bad .

The emak who came here and helped in the eathquake 52 men and woman they werent bad. the akut who worked in athens are they bad !! ;)

but the educational system must be both changed . And must teach the truth to new generations .

to know better i defently advise to meet in the future !!! ;)

may be in the future we come to greece or u will visit us

both would be fine for me :thumbsup:


stay well.

Kaan

+1@Kaan

There are great,well-done statements here. Firstly, I :hathello: ...

than;

if there were three articles to read which ruined our mind,

-bad turks good greeks for greek readers
-good turks bad greeks for turk readers
-good greeks good turks for both side

and having a chance to read last one for all of us to the end of our life,guess what will be the result? and please guess what are the others result under heavy potented environment?

Some of us usually find their books on the table where they left it. Same and same...Some of us rarely find their self choose. Blood banks are built up with the help of donors, people who give their blood for those who need it, doesnt?The hatred party will go on as long as we want to. But being a real man, well-tempered,balanced is really hard under political oriented environment that nobod truly know who they are or who we are...just they are...Such as I still share pain of Thermopyles's sister in my heart. This is my way and I will keep it to end of my life. No matter what I say or how I say it, I always think we are friends while there are many pytheuses and kurts (wolves) exist...




regards,
CDTRF

ok 3 more ý remebered

canta canta
simit simiti
malak malakas
ýmam bayýldý ýmam bayýldý ( hoca faýnted ) ýn turkýsh !!!!

so much comon thýngs...... :friendship:


ý used to know lýke 30 35 words but forget !!