14 - Dimitri Kitsikis interview to Gerçek Hayat, 9-15 September 2019.

14 - Dimitri Kitsikis interview published in Turkish in Gerçek Hayat,  weekly magazine, Istanbul, 9-15 September 2019,

Back to the Ottoman Empire

Turkish Interview   August 30, 2019

 Dear Suleyman,

Below are my answers to your questions. Please, do send me a paper copy of your magazine containing my interview to the following address:   Prof.Dr. Dimitri Kitsikis, Department of History, Desmarais Building, University of Ottawa, 55, Laurier Ave East, Ottawa, K1N6N5,Canada (Air Mail), as well as an electronic copy.

1. You have a thesis known as Turkish-Greek State. What means that definitely? Federation, Confederation or something another?

The Turkish-Greek State should be the restauration of the Ecumenical Byzantine-ottoman Empire with its confederal capital in Istanbul under the modern structure of two independent states based in Ankara and Athens linked in a Confederation, gradually increasing its integration in a superior union that would tend to recreate the Empire

2. Both, Modern Turkish and Greek States founded on ideological, opposite nationalist bases. Is that a big challenge for your thesis?

Nationalism is an ideology which appeared in the West in the 18^th century and aimed at the replacement of empires by nation-states. The West used this new ideology as a violent poison to destroy the Ecumenical Ottoman Empire and beak it down in nation-states. It started in 1821 with the creation of Greece and ended in 1923 with the creation of Turkey. This  Western imperialistic policy is known to historians as the Eastern Question.

The Eastern Question is an exact repetition of the Western imperialistic policy against the Ecumenical Empire of Byzantium, from 1081 to 1204, the ancestor of the Ottoman Empire. As at the time nationalism did not exist, the West used religion to dismantle the Empire, i.e. the Roman Catholic Crusades against Islam and Christian Orthodoxy. The fourth crusade, in 1204, succeeded in dismantling the Byzantine Empire by destroying Constantinople and creating numerous independent states instead. Fortunately, with the help of the Byzantines, the Empire was reconstituted under the wise rule of the Fatih and the Ottomans in 1453.

3. Yes, we know Turks and Greeks lived peacefully almost a millenium. Who broke this harmony and why?

From 1081 to 1453, the West tried hard, through religion to divide the people of the Empire. They did not succeed as in 1453, the great majority of Christian Orthodox people of Byzantium were «pro-Turkish»  demanding to be liberated by the Ottomans against a small minority of «pro-Latin» Byzantines, considered as sold out to the West. Thus,  May 29, 1453, was considered by the overwhelming majority of Byzantine people a kind of «national day» to be  celebrated as «independence day» . The only problem was the difference of religion inside the Empire. George of Trebizond (1395-1486), the famous Greek philosopher from Crete, wrote to the Fatih (see: Χρῆστος Κυπραῖος, '' Ἡ ἰδεολογία τοῦ ἑλληνοτουρκισμοῦ ἀπὸ τὸν Γεώργιο Τραπεζούντιο στὸν Δημήτρη Κιτσίκη'' - Ἀθήνα, Ἐκδόσεις  Ἔξοδος, 2019, ISBN 978-618-84162-0-8 (Christos Kypraios, “The Ideology of Hellenorurkism from George of Trebizond to Dimitri Kitsikis”, Athens, Exodos Publishers, 2019). In this letter to the Fatih George presented a project of merging, in one religion, Orthodox Christianity and Islam on the basis of Bektashism-Alevism which was the religion of the Ottoman family, very close to Christian Orthodoxy. In a word, having the whole of the Greek-Turkish people praying for Christ-Ali, Christ being Ali and vice versa. Even though the Fatih agreed with George he did not go to the end of the project from fear of violent reaction from fanatics from both religions. Myself I have always been a supporter of such a merging scheme as everybody is aware of my support to bektashism-alevism.

4. We also know, Russia and West helped Greece to gain independence from Ottoman Empire. What was the reason for that? Hellenophilia or something hid behind it?

Certainly not Hellenophilia as Great Powers serve only their own interests. Their aim, explained above, was the implementation of the Eastern Question, i.e. the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire.

5. Since West aparted two nations, can we expect it to tolerate Turkish-Greek State today? Any change since then?

The Western game of dismantling today nation-states as a continuation of the Eastern Question(this is what I call the Kuweitization of the Middle East and the Kossovozation of the Balkans) is aimed at preventing any territorial formation that would try to become strong  enough to extract itself from Western hegemony. Nevertheless, acquiring nuclear power would help in giving strength to such enlarged territorial formations. The recent example of Erdoğan’s independent policy is encouraging enough. A common Greek-Turkish venture in the Aegean as well as a two-state  Cyprus Greek-Turkish Confederation could be a good starting point towards a larger Turkish-Greek Confederation between Ankara and Athens under a Trump-Putin single umbrella.

6. Do you think that Greek nation is ready for such a joint venture?

The present Greek State suffers from a total lack of leadership. This is the reason why the majority of Greek people look with envy at the Turkish performances,  saying  loudly, “If only Greece could have a leader of the Erdoğan calibre!”  

7. Did you ever think about a Balkan Commonwealth? Does it sound better?

In the Interwar Period of 1919-1939, Balkan Federation projects was high on the agenda. Second World War stopped the realization of such projects for which I have written tons of studies. My long time scheme of a Turkish-Greek Confederation of  reviving the Ottoman  Empire has always included as peripheral states joined to the Confederation , the Balkan countries as well as  the Middle East countries. Otherwise the scheme of a revived Ottoman Empire would not have any meaning.

8. Let's say you convinced Greeks upon your thesis. How can you convince Turks for that?

I do not need to convince Turks as they are already convinced of the necessity of Erdoğan’s vision of the the resurgence of the Ottoman Empire. My work of persuasion lies primarily with the Greeks and this has been the effort of my long life.

Dimitri Kitsikis, Ph.D.,

Professor Emeritus,

Geopolitics and International Relations,

University of Ottawa,

Fellow, Royal Society of Canada,

Honorary President, The  Dimitri Kitsikis Public Foundation,

http://www.idkf.gr

Pikoulianika, Laconia, Greece, Plethon House,

August 30, 2019