Tag: Hatay

The Record-holder Swimmer in the Mediterranean Sea for Peace and Brotherhood

Alper Sunaçoğlu who is known for his records in swimming and performance sports will swim in Mediterranean on 30th of August 2013 and will start swimming from Samandağ Hatay for the respect to the basic fundamental rights, freedoms and to say no to war, death and captivity.

In the past Alper SUNAÇOĞLU swam the distance of 78 km from Mersin to Cyprus without using safety cage and broke the world record with a whopping short limit of time 26 hours 15 minutes.

On 23th of April 2011 Mr. Sunaçoğlu swam across Istanbul Bosphorus at full length in 2 hours 25 minutes and after that on 29th of October 2012 and last year, the marathon swimmer again broke a new world record in Dardenelles in 7 hours 12 minutes .

Furthermore our sportsman greeted the Mavi Marmara at the offshores of Marmara Sea and escorted the Mavi Marmara flotilla until it reached the offshores of Sarayburnu in order to protest the brutality of Israel and to call for attention to the inhumanities that take place in Gazze, Palestine.

After all Alper wanted to swim from Port Said of Egypt to Gazze but this was cancelled with the official written order of Ministry of Foreign Affairs for security reasons due to the civil riots in Egypt that erupted at the time.

On 30 th of August 2013 the activist sportsman Mr. Sunaçoğlu and his friend Bedirhan Karabağ will start swimming from the coast of Antakya to the Syria where there is a war and deaths. . Sunaçoğlu will swim to Syria in order to give peace message and will say no to the cruelty, death, captivity, torture and to call for attention for the peace and for the respect to basic fundamental rights and freedoms at Mediterranean Sea which is a sea of Muslims.

Lets pay attention to what Alper Sunaçoğlu has to say about this extraordinary project.

Tolga: Firstly I would to thank you that you that you have kindly spared your time to us in your busy schedule.

When did you start swimming and become a long-distance swimmer? When you swim don’t you ever get bored or scared?

SUNAÇOĞLU: I have been swimming since I have known myself. I feel that I am a part of the sea while swimming and it’s like a kind of worship.

You are on your own and with the God in an unguarded environment and the only option you have is to trust God who will arrange things for the best.

In order to understand what I really mean you have to try what I do. Just swim 500 metres from the coast and wait.. No one can see and hear you.. You are alone.. There is only God, you and sea.. Moreover the host of the sea and the living creatures of course.

Tolga: One day I will definately try 🙂

On the recent headlines you were about to swim the English Channel. Why is this cancelled? It is heard that you refused the sponsorship of the Governorship fo Istanbul. Could you give us more detailed information relating to this event to enlighten your followers and our readers?

SUNAÇOĞLU: My project was to swim across the English Channel which is 36 km course and known for its extreme currents and freezing water temperatures in less than 7 hours to break the world record however I have postponed this due to the problems that the Turkey face as well as private private reasons. Now my aim is to break the world record in 2014. As part of the sponsorship we agreed in principle with governorship however after the Gezi Park protests I thougt that it will make sense, more logical and better to postpone this to the next year.

Tolga: Don’t you ever get afraid of sharks in the sea? Have you ever seen them before? Especially Mediterranean Sea seems to be very risky. What do you think?

SUNAÇOĞLU: I can’t say I am not afraid but I know how to control my fear. I have seen them before and I know I will see them in the future. But there were no threat or attack so far and I certainly hope there won’t 🙂

Tolga: Recently you made a protest under the name of Yüzen Adam. You and Bedirhan Karadağ swam across 30 km sourroundings of Büyük Ada together with the support of Gürsel Tekin and some members of parliament. And now the last stop of the protest is Antakya, is there any speacial reason to end this protest up in Antakya? What is the rela reason behind the attempt of swimming across from Antakya to Syria? What is the real aim of this protest?

SUNAÇOĞLU: I would like a world which shows respect to fundamental rights and freedoms. I accept mankind as it is no matter for me what language, religion and ethnic origin they have. I do not want a war, blood, death, violence and empire of fear. As the prime minister Tayyip Erdoğan said, ” There might be foreign powers influences or some monkey business” but once for all there is unrest, war, fear in Middle East and Muslim Sea of Mediterranean Sea. I protest the Muslims’ killing of each other. I am not the man of someone, some power or serve anyone. I am not the supporter of any political party and I don’t earn any money, on the contrary I have faced many loses materially and spiritually. I only use my individusl democratic rights for action. I hope that this works and I can contribute and lead to form common sense in this region of the world. This is my unique aim. In short they say”A good deed is its own reward”.

My aim is to support peace and brotherhood of mankind. And if the conditions are convenient I would like to go the place where Turkish aircraft crashed and stand at attention in order to show respect by raising the Turkish flag. I hope that God allows me for this so that I can achieve this and return home to Turkey safe and sound.

Tolga: Who will you meet you at Syria ashore? What is your message to Syria?

SUNAÇOĞLU: There is nothing clear about it and it is not important who will meet me however it is sufficient enough for me that this someone is a human being as I will be there as an activist with a peace message to declare to the whole world. My message is unifier not seperatist “I want respect to right to life. As a member of Turkish Republic and as a part od nation which destroyed many of its enemies in wars along in its long history, I will make a cross-border marathon swimming without guns and defence. I believe that my message will be effective enough against foreign powers or some monkey business in World. My message and philosophy is this “Turks are neither afraid of war nor peace”

Tolga: As we can see and understand you are determined exactly just like before you swam to Cyprus, I can see the same courage and determination in your eyes. I hope that everything you wish will happen and you raise full awareness on behalf of peace and brotherhood. Good luck YÜZEN ADAM…

SUNAÇOĞLU: I would to kindly thank you for giving me a chance to share my protest with public opinion and thank you for your sensitivity. Let’s hope for the best for Turkey and World. I would like to take this opportunity to say happy Eid to Turkish People and local communities by hoping that this leads to brotherhood, peace, prosperity and unity wordwide.

July 25, 2013
In Turkey’s Last Armenian Village, a Place to Get Away From it All

For the Geo Quiz we are looking for a province in southern Turkey about the size of Delaware.

The province used to be part of Syria once, but was ceded to Turkey in 1939.

It is an ethically diverse province and even includes a village with a 100 percent ethnic Armenian population.

The capital of the province is the city of Antakya.

Hatay is the answer to the Geo Quiz.

Hatay is home to the only village in Turkey that is populated solely by ethnic Armenians considering that most ethnic Armenians, in what was then the Ottoman empire, fled or were killed or ethnically cleansed in 1915.

Reporter Matthew Brunwasser paid the village a visit.

Bitterness over the 1915 Armenian massacres and ethnic cleansing in Turkey by then Ottoman forces is still unresolved. But Turkey’s last remaining village inhabited solely by ethnic Armenians is a seriously peaceful place. Vafikli Koyu today attracts visitors with its pretty views, excellent climate and tasty organic produce.

It’s a balmy Sunday in Vakifli Koyu, a sleepy village on a lush mountaintop overlooking the Mediterranean. The air smells like orange blossoms and the townsfolk, all 135 of them, never seem to hurry.

It feels like it could be any Sunday from over the centuries, as services start at the St. Astvatzatzin Armenian Apostolic Church. But today there is big news. The village has a new resident priest for the first time in 11 years. And today is his first service.

Father Avedis Tabashyan was born and raised nearby. He is 31 and excited about his new job.

“I think more worshipers will come to church because there will be regular services,” says Tabashyan. “The spiritual life of the people will improve because they have a priest now with whom they can share their problems.”

The village looks and feels more prosperous than its neighbors – largely due to the money sent by family members working abroad. There is also innovation here. The village was one of the first in Turkey to start growing organic oranges in 2004. Tabashyan says most of the young people have left and the remaining villagers have realistic expectations.

“Agriculture doesn’t bring us much money so the population will continue to shrink,” he says. But even if there are only 50 people left in the village, there will still be Armenians here. And whenever there is a holiday those who have left will always remember the village and many will come back.

A historical Ottoman-era building, crumbling and neglected. (Photo: Matthew Brunwasser)

The village has a special history. In 1915, locals say, Armenians from the area held off Ottoman Turkish forces for 53 days. They signalled a passing French warship by hanging a banner on the mountaintop and were rescued. When the province became part of Turkey in 1939, only the residents of Vakifli Koyu decided to return. Today, villager Stepanos Chaparyan says they’ve mixed in nicely with their Muslim Turkish neighbors.

“There’s a little difference, but our traditions are very similar,” Chaparyan says. “We go to each others villages for weddings and religious festivals and there’s no problems at all.”

The village is tranquil. The runoff from village farms flows down steep stone steps, carved into the mountainside along the village’s streets.

It’s also a small village. Taking a short walk, I run into Chaparyan again, sitting on a bench and playing a wooden folk flute.

The song he’s playing is emblematic of the painful relations between Turks and Armenians, sari gelin or “blond bride” in Turkish.

“Sari gelin, sari” says Chaparyan. “It’s a song both Turks and Armenians share. The real meaning in Armenian is ‘mountain bride.’”

A documentary film using the name of the song, produced by Turks, promotes the Turkish nationalist perspective that Armenians were in fact the aggressors in the bloody events of 1915. But the people of Vakifli Koyu can’t be bothered. They’re more concerned about business.

Gohar Kartun is selling jars of locally grown and prepared food products to the crowds of Sunday tourists who like to shop here.

1187 Gohar Kartun selling locally-produced preserved fruit and vegetables, oils, sauces and juices on behalf of the Vakifli Koyu’s women’s collective. (Photo: Matthew Brunwasser)

Kartun says that visitors come with a wide range of expectations. She says many Turks have never met an Armenian before and their curiosity can make her feel like she’s in a zoo.

“Sometimes, sometimes,” Kartun says. “It depends on the questions they are asking. Not everyone looks through the same window. Some of them say, ‘we are so happy to see Armenians in our Turkey.’ They want to come and see what kind of creatures we are.”

Kartun says that tourism is one economic bright spot for Vakifli Koyu. The main attraction in the Hatay region is the nearby ancient city of Antakya, Antioch in the bible. The province also has one of Turkey’s most multi-cultural populations, including Turks, Arabs, Christians of various denominations, Alevi and Sunni Muslims.

“Hatay is a rainbow and we are one of the colors. And I’m trying to show it to the world, ” Kartun says.

As Turkey matures politically and moves away from the ethnic nationalism of its founders, minorities like Armenians hope that Turks learn to appreciate diversity. Locals want people to think of Vakifli Koyu as nothing more than a place for a relaxing weekend stroll.

December 29, 2011
Armenian-populated province was sold to Turkey for 7 million francs

ISTANBUL. – The Hatay Province (Sanjak of Alexandretta), which had passed to France after World War I, was given to Turkey, in 1939, for a mere 7 million francs.

Turkey’s Vatan daily’s correspondent obtained a document, whereby it became apparent that Turkey’s central bank had paid France 7 million francs for the Hatay Province. It is noted that it was because of this money that Hatay Province was handed over to Turkey. The Turkish president of the time, Ismet Inonu, PM Refik Saydam, and all the Turkish ministers had signed under the respective agreements.

To note, a considerable number of Armenians used to live in Hatay Province, but they left their lands after 1939. Hatay’s Armenian-populated Vakif village, however, exists to this day.

via Armenian-populated province was sold to Turkey for 7 million francs | Armenia News – NEWS.am.

December 4, 2011
Turkish FM to visit Syrian refugees in Hatay

Davutoglu will meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s special representative Hasan Turkmani in Ankara on Wednesday evening.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will travel to southern province of Hatay on Wednesday to observe the living conditions of Syrians who fled to Turkey escaping violence in Syria.

Sources told the AA that Davutoglu would depart for Hatay in the next hour.

Davutoglu will meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s special representative Hasan Turkmani in Ankara on Wednesday evening.

Davutoglu’s meeting with the Turkish ambassadors commissioned in the Middle East to discuss the latest developments in the region and in Syria is expected to be postponed to Thursday.

World Bulletin

June 15, 2011