A Turk does not have to be Moslem, Christian, Judaist, Budist etc necessarily. A Turk can also be a Atheist. The constitution says so, because of the freedom of religion, even though many people (including Europeans) do not think so.
rick murphy
other .." To me they are all Turks, because they are all citizens of
Turkiye. Turkiye's constitution says so. They should be called Polish
Turks, or Turks of Polish descend, or Turks of Polish heritage, etc.
And the rest of the article should be corrected accordingly.
A Turk does not have to be Moslem, Christian, Judaist, Budist etc
necessarily. A Turk can also be a Atheist. The constitution says so,
because of the freedom of religion, even though many people (including
Europeans) do not think so. This is nothing short of stereotyping.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=muslim-and-christian-pray-together-in-polonezkoy-2009-11-05
Friday, November 6, 2009
JUSTİNA SZEWCZYK
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Poles and Turks greeted each other warmly as the priest at the small
church in Polonezköy, a village on Istanbul’s Asian outskirts settled
by Polish emigrants in the 19th century, invited worshippers to
exchange the peace during the All Saints’ Day mass on Nov. 1.
Muslim Turks participating in a Christian ritual was “normal for
Polonezköy,” an elderly inhabitant of the town said. The priest
conducted the mass in both Polish and Turkish so that everyone could
participate. After the mass, the congregants commemorated the deceased
at a nearby cemetery with flowers while the priest blessed the
gravestones with holy water, just as he would in Poland.
The cemetery reflects the story of Polonezköy. The majority of the
oldest graves belong to Polish soldiers, combatants in many national
uprisings during the 19th century. The Ottoman state was the only one
in Europe that did not recognize Russian, Prussian and Austrian’s
late-18th century partitions of Poland.
In 1841, Duke Adam Czartoryski sent emissary Michał Czajkowski from
Paris to Istanbul to negotiate the establishment of a Polish colony
there. One year later, Sultan Abdülmecid I granted Istanbul’s Polish
mission the right to take land from the Lazarite Order and establish a
semi-autonomous Polish settlement, Adampol, named after Czartoryski.
“Thank the Lord, who gave us this land where we can pray for Poland
and talk about Poland in Polish – let’s pray and act righteously and
God will return us to our Motherland,” Czajkowski, also known as
Mehmet Sadık Paşa after he converted to Islam and served in the
Ottoman army, said in a letter during the initial settlement period.
Speaking Polish in Poland was forbidden under Prussian and Russian
rule, but Adampol was a safe haven for Polish patriots. Poles not only
found refuge in the Sultan’s land, but also fought on the side of the
Ottomans in the Crimean War (1853-56) against the Russians.
By the end of the 19th century approximately 150 Poles lived in the
village. Even in 1918 after Poland finally re-gained its independence,
the Poles in Adampol remained in Turkey. Today, there are about 750
inhabitants in Polonezköy, 90 of whom are of Polish origin.
“We are Turks with Polish origin,” said Antoni Dohoda, one of the
elderly inhabitants. “I was a Turkish officer,” he said proudly. The
Polish-Turkish friendship seen in Polonezköy is indeed amazing: The
villagers said it was natural to see Polish and Turkish flags flying
side-by-side or flowers from the gendarmerie at Czartoryski’s
monument.
On one side of Adam Mickiewicz St., named for a famous Polish writer
who died in Istanbul in 1855, there is both a Catholic church and a
mosque just a few meters away from each other. “We go to weddings
together, funerals and we carry coffins for each other when needed,”
said Dohoda, somewhat surprised at the question about religious
issues.
Dohoda said he was not worried about the loss of Polish culture and
language. Though there is now much intermarriage in the community, he
said this was a worldwide trend. Whatever the case, religious and
cultural life in the community remains strong – mass is held every
Saturday evening, after which Sister Arleta leads a number of children
in religious study. Also, the children prepare a nativity play for the
birth of Jesus every Christmas.
Recently, land from the graves of Adam Czartoryski and Michał
Czajkowski were brought to Polonezköy and placed in symbolic graves in
a ceremony attended by Polish President Lech Kaczyński. Indeed, the
town often receives visits from Polish heads of state during their
trips to Turkey, having hosted former presidents Lech Wałęsa and
Aleksander Kwaśniewski in the past.
Polonezköy keeps ties not only with Poland, where children go every
year for holidays, but also with similar Polish migrant communities in
Romania. In October, Polonezköy welcomed 12 children and two teachers
from Nowy Soloniec in Romania.
“We also want to establish connections with Polish towns in Georgia.
The origins of these villages are the same – they were built by Polish
patriots,” said Polonezköy Mayor Daniel Ohotski. These meetings with
other Polish children motivate interest in Polish culture and help to
maintain the language, he said.
Polonezköy is not just a heritage park for Polish culture, but also a
beautiful destination for residents of Istanbul seeking a quiet place
for a weekend getaway. Hotels and restaurants offering traditional
Polish and Turkish food attract Istanbul clientele.
The fact that there is no public transportation connecting Polonezköy
to Istanbul helps to maintain the peacefulness of the village.
Moreover, Ohotski is not very enthusiastic about the idea of having a
public bus – “That would bring too many people. It is good the way it
is now,” he said.
Grand Sen~or
> A Turk does not have to be Moslem, Christian, Judaist, Budist etc
> necessarily. A Turk can also be a Atheist. The constitution says so,
> because of the freedom of religion, even though many people (including
> Europeans) do not think so. This is nothing short of stereotyping.
yeah but a Turk cannot be a Doenmeh like yourself, to be a Doenmeh
first you have to be a Jew, then you have to become Muslim, then you
don't keep your word and turn your back to Islam. Now you are neither
Jew nor Muslim, you are a Doenmeh.
Grand Sen~or
BTW, now you can easily be a secularo-fascist too, unless you already
turned to be one. You see once you turn, you always turn;->>
Turn, turn, turn
The ring of fire
The ring of fire
rick murphy
You are not any different than that terrorist (Nidal Malik Hasan) who
murdered and wounded perfectly innocent people. Go to hell. Son-of-a-
bitch
Grand Sen~or
> You are not any different than that terrorist (Nidal Malik Hasan) who
> murdered and wounded perfectly innocent people. Go to hell. Son-of-a-
> bitch
Wrong and I am going to report this.
Mitsos***
Well now his mad postings make much more sense
Grand Sen~or
Yeah Mate, I don't understand why those guys hide their identity, is
it because they are scared that if they disclose their id their
postings may make much more sense;->RO(T/F)L