is'nt it about time the turks gave constantinople/istambul back to greece?

Question

i mean come on....
at the end of the crusades, they got a foothold for their religion in the baltic countries and eastern europe!
on top of that the christians gave back the islamic settlements that they had garrisoned!

do they still even allow christians to practice their religion in istanbul?

mertev>
i KNOW.
it was first roughly uninhabited, then helenized by the macedonians, then the romans.

what i meant with my theory was that since greece is essentially the remnants of the eastern roman empire, IF it were to be returned, the country modernly known as "greece" should inherit it.

Answer 1

Suggestion the writer who comments that istambul was never greek ought to read some pre islamic history, constantinople was greek but they knew it as Byzantium, it's name from the classicasl period until the reign of Constantine the great who changed its name to flatter himself. I suppose that next you'll be trying to tell me that Jerusalem wasn't Jewish. Learn your history before shooting your mouth off!

Answer 2

Your statement about Istanbul basically being Turkey's toehold on the continent of Europe is correct. Anyone who looks at a map can see that, unless they're retarded.

Byzantium had always been originally Western/Greek, and remained so up until the fall of Constantinople if 1453. The peninsula has only been considered Muslim/Asian since this date.

In regards to Christians being able to practice their religion freely; from the time of the Ottoman conquest Constantinople/Istanbul became a more cosmopolitan metropolis than it had been under the Byzantines. Before the fall of the city in 1453, the city had been predominantly Christian, and Greek. Following the conquest, the Ottoman rulers instated a semi-freedom of religion, where any non-Muslim (Jew or Christian) could practice their religion, but had to pay a tax to do so.

Modern Istanbul is a secular, liberal city. However, the Greek population of the city has withered to almost nothing over the past 500 years. Modern Greeks would like to see the city returned to Hellenic control, (this is the main reason behind the animosity between modern Turkey and Greece). But unless the Greeks become a majority again in the city, it remains very highly unlikely.

Answer 3

Cyprus is an island that belonged to Cypriots. Greek and Turkish Cypriots. They lived in certain peace until some idiots from both sides decided otherwise. It never belonged to Greece and never will because is a sovereign state, even more now, that EU is the main partner of the Cypriots.

Answer 4

There was never a "swap", Christian nations did not give back settlements to Muslim ones, or vice versa. All were taken by conquest, and held until they themselves were conquered - it's the way of territorial expansion.

Byzantium was founded as a Greek colony, along with cities on all shores of the Black Sea, though Ukraine and Russia are in no mood to give these settlements back. The previous post mentioned the legend of Byzas of Megara who upon consulting the Oracle at Delphi, founded Byzantium. It's true that this is legend but it's also true that the inhabitants of Byzantium built with Greek architecture, wrote the Greek alphabet, and practiced a Greek culture. They, like those settlers on the Eastern shore of the Aegean (Western Turkey) were culturally, linguistically, ethnically Greek. They weren't Persian, whose Iranian culture didn't arrive for more than 150 years after Greek colonization, and lasted only a couple generations before Philip II of Macedon brought the region back into the hands of Greek leadership and his son Alexander the Great left such a legacy that the Greeks of Byzantium would consider themselves Greek/Hellenic for centuries.

Turkey is only as Turkish as it is today because of long-standing policy of the Ottomans to give power and land to those who converted to the "true" faith of Islam. This happened throughout Asia Minor and Southeast Europe, which is why there are such bitter tensions between Bosniaks and Albanians (who converted to Islam and kept their lands and prestige) verses Serbs and Croats (who held to their Christian faith while they lost their land while under the Ottoman Empire). Additionally, Armenian genocide and the Turkish-Greek swap of citizens at the advent of the modern Greek state ensured that the large Armenian communities in the east were eradicated while the large Greek communities in the West were shipped to modern-day Greece, while Greece sent most of her Muslim citizens to Turkey (far more Greeks lived in Turkey than Turks in Greece during this shift in the 19th century).

Turkey will not give back Istanbul, the city today is cosmopolitan and many Turks defend its status as their world-class city. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Animists and members of all faiths face little discrimination since the coup and revolution of Ataturk. Unless Greece goes to war for possession of Istanbul, it will remain Turkey's gem.

Answer 5

OK, will write down item by item for you to comprehend easy.

First, the city is called "ISTANBUL" not Istambul or Constantinople.

Second, yes there are churches and synagogues everywhere in Istanbul, people practice their religion freely,since this is a free+democratic country.

Third, Greeks cannot be considered as heirs of Romans. There were lots of races/nations in Roman Empire. And it was founded first in today's Italy. Greeks think they are heirs of Romans because of some romantic reasons.

Fourth, if Turks give Istanbul back to it's previous holders, to whom will those give the city back? They captured the city from another nation right? Where does it end?

Fifth, Greeks tried to capture the city as well as the western anatolia but they failed. Turkish defend their country with honor and blood. Do you expect them to give the city on the paper?

Sixth, i can't believe i took this kind of question seriously and typed an answer.

+++
ends

Answer 6

Constantinople/Istanbul's original location is in the ancient region of Anatolia/Asia minor, the Asian part of modern Turkey.

Asking Turkey to return it to Greece would be rather like asking the North Americans to return the USA to Britain. Also, Turkey is a secular country which aspires to join the EU, freedom of worship and democracy is common practice.

Update: Afraid that's not right The Last Roman, it is only a legend that a Greek called Byzas settled in the area around 650 BCE. What is known about the history around the time is that the Persian, Darius took Byzantium in 512 BC and it remained in Persian control until 444 BC. After this, Byzantium became allies of Athens by choice, but was often invaded by Sparta too. Rhodes, Pergamum and Bithynia captured the city in 179 BC retaining control until the Romans invaded around 110 BC. It remained under Roman dominion until 395 CE.

Further update: Sorry but although Byzantium certainly made allies if possible of their Greek near neighbours and were influenced by Greek culture *as Greece was by other cultures* they were not Greeks. Their adoption in the 600's BC of the Babylonian/Egyptian/Persian crescent moon as their state symbol shows this, it being totally alien to Greek culture.

Wish i'd answered later too nyisintop, it would have been easier.=)

No *Greek* identity or heritage existed at that time, most look at the history with our understanding of modern Greece. The area consisted of newly established incomers with both shared and diverse ethnicity, trying to find a way to live together. Some such as the Athenians and Spartans developed the polis, *city states* others such as Macedonia continued with Mycanaean stylee kingdoms, speaking their own language. *A combo of recognisable Greek and what the....??* Attic *Athenian* Greek may have been dominant because of the cultural influence of Athens by the time Byzantium was founded but the standardised, Attic language was only introduced when Alexander the Great conquered the city states. Alexander sought to unify the area fusing Macedonian empire with Athenian culture, he employed the same methods using local culture in his other conquered territories.

*Greeks* did not colonise Byzantium as they didn't actually exist at the time, it was much more prone to ethnic flux than the Aegean population, Attic culture and language was adopted because of Alexander's conquest, then it was Romanised, readopting the Greek language around 600 AD. The Byzantine empire was not Greek * having a period of less than 200 years of Macedonian rulership before the Romans installed their empire* but a combination of many races and cultures.

Answer 7

I do not believe Greece ever "owned" Constantinople.The area was Greek in nature but not by nationality. They do have Christian churches and Jewish Synagogues in the city of Istanbul.

Answer 8

Istambul was Asian territory originally...It was Romans who tried colonialism to Istambul, why shouldnt Turks take it over as Romans did? By the way, it has been 400 years since Istambul became a part of Turkye...ask anyone in Istambul...they would all answer they are Turks

Answer 9

Sure why not.

But of course, then the Anglo Saxons should give England back to the Normans who they stole it from. And then the Normans would then need to give it to the Romans, who should then give it back to the Celts,

And the USA should give the country back to the Native Indians.

Get real, world history is based on conquest.

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Answer 10

I am dreaming of a world with no borders, no property, no religion - a world we once had and only animals have now!