Turkish coffee or Greek coffee?
If you order Turkish Coffee in Greece, the waiters tend to ignore you or look at you with big eyes. How could you? It is Greek coffee! The same is true for many other dishes which are identical but have both a Greek & a Turkish name. You ought to use the correct one …
Turkish coffee or Greek coffee? This one is Turkish - the above Greek
Over the last 200 years, since the War of Greek Independence, we got used to see and hear of Greek – Turkish tensions. It happens so frequently that many think it is normal. Our historic narratives are written accordingly. The Turks advanced into Anatolia, defeated the Byzantine Emperor at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 and conquered Christian Constantinople in 1453. Aggressors and victims are neatly separated. The Turks are the bad boys, the Greek the good ones. The problem with this narrative is that Turkish people sees it the other way round. So who is right? Or even better, is anybody right?
How the Oghuz Turk under Seljuk Leadership built an Empire
On our trip from Istanbul to Athens we are going to hear both sides of this narrative. The first two weeks we will hear how Turkey became a victim of Greek aggression in the Balkan Wars, the last two weeks how brutally the Greek were expelled from Anatolia. Both stories are actually true. Taking a step back, there is a common thread – Turks and Greeks lived closely together – for centuries. There were many Turks and Muslims on the European side of the Ottoman Empire as well as many Christian Greeks in Anatolia and Constantinople. If we could time travel to 1910 for our trip this summer, we would mostly meet Greeks. They lived on the Aegean shores. But there were also a few Turkish villages. Further inland, it was the other way round. How did this pattern arise? Mostly peacefully – is the surprising answer.
If it were not for the Mosque you would take Bozcaada for a Greek port - it actually was
Remember the official history of how the Roman Empire ended in 473 AD? Germanic tribes invaded Roman territory, defeated the legions and usurped power. Well, except that it did not happen. The Germans were already inside the Roman Empire. Their men served Rome as mercenaries. It is easy to forget that Constantine the Great had 60’000 Goths on his payroll. When Rome run out of money and could not pay, the mercenaries took over tax collection, set up their own administration and became the new ruling elite.
Constantine chairing the the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD - half of his army were Germans
Turns out that the demise of the Byzantine Empire was not that different. But before we get to this, a short look into the origin of the Turks is necessary. Its details are feverishly complicated but a shorter, simplified story line will do for this blog.
Settlement Area of the Oghuz Turk in 9th and 10th century before they migrated into Persia
The Turkish people originate from the Altai Mountains where they lived as nomads. It is unclear whether they were part of the “barbarian” Xiongnu who often clashed with the Chinese Han Empire. The Turkish language is somewhat related to Chinese. For reasons unbeknown to me, one of the Turkish tribes, the Oghuz, migrated west into the area between Hindukusch and Caspian Sea. Their migration continued though. Among historians, there is a big debate whether climate change pushed them further south or whether they were recruited as soldiers by the Caliphs in Baghdad. The Sunni Caliphate was in a fight for survival with the Shia Fatimids – the ones who sacked Genoa in 984 AD.
Whilst the Oghuz Turks under the capable leadership of the Seljuk dynasty stopped the Fatimids, they also took Baghdad in 1055 and made the Caliphs figure heads. The Seljuk rulers built a short-lived Empire. It ended in civil war and with the Mongol invasion in 1243.
The short-lived Seljuk Empire 1055 - 1243
In this context, the Byzantine Empire was a side show. On the western fringes of the Seljuk Empire, a few Turkish tribes regularly launched raids into Armenia and Byzantium. The Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes decided to stop this once and for all and moved in 1071 with an army of 40’000 to the east. But half of his troops were mercenaries who deserted before the battle. His force was routed at Manzikert; the Emperor taken prisoner. Decades of military mismanagement fired back. As a rule of thumb, a state can mobilise 4-5 % of its people for its military. Byzantium with 7 million people had an army of a mere 0.3%.
Battle of Manzikert in 1071 where the Byzantine Emperor Romanos was taken Prisoner
With Romanos being imprisoned, the Byzantine Empire descended into civil war. Only 10 years after Manzikert, the Seljuk stood on the Aegean Sea. There was no planned invasion. Several Turkish clans simply moved west, usually welcomed and often invited by local Greeks and Armenians who longed for peace and safety after years of chaos. None of these clans were large. We do not have good data but several sources indicate that none counted more than 10’0000 men, women and children. With their sheep, horses and camels, they set themselves up in the hills and mountains next to the farmland and kept their traditional way of life. All male Turks were skilled horse- and bowmen and could quickly mobilize. A tribe of 10’000 had 1’000 cavalry at its disposal at the snap of a finger. The clans were loosely federated in the Sultanate of Rum.
The Yörüks in Anatolia still keep their Nomad Way of Life. With their sheep ...
... Camels and Horses they regularly move between Summer and Winter Pastures
Over time, Turks took over the administration, guaranteeing the safety of trading and agricultural production, took care of the judiciary and rebuilt towns with the culture they brought from central Asia. You only need to look at Sekjuk tiles to get it. Politically, they were organized in 23 small, decentral principalities (Beyliks) where their clan leader was their Bey. They thus survived the Mongol victory over the Seljuk dynasty in 1243. Instead of having the Seljuk as suzerain they now had the Mongols. Little else changed. One of these Bayliks was run by the Osmanogullan, the founders of the Ottoman Dynasty. In 1330, they started to mint their own coins as a sign of independence from the Mongols.
With the Arrival of the Crusaders, the Byzantine Empire could temporarily push back the Turks but by the End of the 13th Century Turkish Clans controlled most of Anatolia again
Today's Share of Turkish Genes in Anatolia's Population is around 15%
The Ottomans continued the policy of alliance with the local population. They were not seen as a threat but as a guarantor of stability and safety. The Crusaders and the Mongols delayed this process but did not stop it. The reconstitution of Byzantium in 1261 even accelerated it with its permanent civil wars. Local people had to look after themselves and chose the Ottoman.
Today's Share of Genes with Greek Origins is a multiple of above
The Ottoman Turks offered religious freedom and safety. Slowly but steadily, the Turkish culture took over. It is comparable to how Roman culture replaced the Celtic in today’s France. Gaulle was Romanized because it was to the advantage of the locals who got a seat at the table. For the Greek in Anatolia’s it was the same.
Turkish Women in their Traditional Costumes with Head Scarfs,
Long Skirts, Embroided Wests, Wide Sleeves & Decorative Coins
When we talk today about tension between Greece and Turkey, we describe a family dispute. They are the same people who lived peacefully together for centuries. Sadly, the nationalism imported from Napoleon’s France did no good to either side. It only led to bloodshed. Nationalism is the biggest butcher in world history. Closely followed by Socialism. People want to live in peace and respect others. The followers of -isms do not.
Greek Traditional Costumes do not look all that different