Posted by G.Conomos(65 year old Canadian Greek with primary education) on May 15, 2002 at 08:05:52:
In Reply to: REAL TURKS ARE FROM TURKISTAN IN CENTRAL ASIA AND LOOK ASIAN posted by NOT A TURK OR GREEK on May 15, 2002 at 01:00:21:
: THE REAL TURKISH PEOPLE ORIGINATED FROM TURKISTAN IN CENTRAL ASIA, AND HAVE CENTRAL ASIAN FEATURES AS YOU WILL SEE IF YOU VISIT TURKEY. THE OTHER THING YOU WILL SEE IF YOU VISIT TURKEY MY DEAR MR G.M., IS THAT MANY TURKS HAVE EUROPEAN FEATURES, SOME ARE FAIR, SOME RESEMBLE GREEKS ETC. THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT YES SOME TURKS AND GREEKS ARE RELATED, THE TURKS WHO BECAME MUSLIM FOR WHAT EVER REASON BUT WERE OF GREEK HERITAGE. DO YOU FORGET THAT THE JANNISERIES WERE MADE UP OF GREEKS AND NOT TURKS. SO MY DEAR UNEDUCATED FELLOW, IF YOU SEE SOME PHYSICAL RESEMBLANCES BETWEEN SOME TURKS AND GREEKS, THAT IS BECAUSE SOME TURKS ARE GREEKS AND NOT BECAUSE GREEKS ARE TURKS. LIKE I SAID, THE TRUE RACE OF TURKS ARE FROM TURKISTAN AND ARE CENTRAL ASIAN AND LOOK IT. BY THE WAY, IF SOME TURKS LOOK EVEN A BIT BRITISH, THEN DON'T FORGET GALATEA WHICH WAS SETTLED BY CELTS IN PREHISTORY AND THEN RUN OVER BY THE OTTOMANS MUCH MUCH LATER AND INTERMARRIED. AND DON'T FORGET THE CRUSADERS WHO ALSO INTERBRED WITH LOCALS. SOME TURKS LOOK A BIT EUROPEAN BECAUSE OF THIS. DON'T GET ME WRONG, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH LOOKING OR BEING CENTRAL ASIAN, BUT GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT BEFORE YOU VOMIT NONSENSE HERE.
The truth of the matter is that many turks who were residing in greece at the time ,remained and converted to orthodoxy so as to remain in the country where their families had been living for many generations.infact in the major towns ,especially the islands most spoke turkish and to be quite honest the oldfoke still do.This i know for a fact as my family on the island of Crete is one of them.Also having spoken to many others on the islands who have admitted that this was also the case in their villages.
As for the characteristics of these people the majority could easily pass for a persian/mongul/turkish mixture.
I can not comment on the history of the region as i only have a primary school education and am only repeating what i have been told by my great grandmother prior to her death many decades ago and what i have seen in mine and other villages.i have lived in Montreal since age 12
I AM NOT ASHAMED IN ANY WAY AS I considerGREEK AND ORTHODOX .WHO CARES WHAT MY ANCESTORS WERE.MY GRANDCHILDREN SADLY DONT EVEN SPEAK GREEK AND CONSIDER THEMSELVES CANADIAN AND ARE PROTESTANT AS MY TWO SONS CONVERTED WHILST IN PREP SCHOOL.
WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY WILL MARRY AND IN 100YEARS THEY COULD EVEN BE AFRICAN.SOME PEOPLE ARE ACTING AS IF ITS A CRIME TO BE OF A NON GREEK BACKROUND. MY ADVICE WITH MY PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION AND 65 YEARS EXPERIENCE IS THE TRUTH ALWAYS SETS YOU FREE!!.