Cretan Turks (Girit Türkleri)
Total population	est. 200,000-300,000[2]
Regions with significant populations	Turkey
Language	Turkish, Cretan Greek dialect
Religion	Sunni Islam, Bektashism
Related ethnic groups	Turks, Greeks, Albanians

The freighter Giresun which carried thousands of exchanged "Turkish Cretans" from the ports of Crete to Turkey in the summer of 1923.

Cretan Turks (Turkish Giritli, plural Giritliler, Giritli Türkler, Türk Giritliler or Girit Türkleri) arrived in Turkey in successive waves after the 1896-1898 events, at the start of the Greek rule in Crete in 1908 and especially in the framework of the 1923 agreement for the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations and have settled on the coastline stretching from the Çanakkale to İskenderun in Turkey; while other waves of refugees settled in Syrian cities like Damascus, Aleppo and Al Hamidiyah; in Tripoli, Lebanon; Haifa, Palestine, and even as far south as Alexandria and Tanta in Egypt. While some of these peoples have integrated themselves with the hospitable populations around them over the course of the 20th century, the majority of them still live in a tightly knit communities preserving their unique culture, traditions, and Greek language. In fact many of them made reunion visits to distant relatives in Crete, Turkey, and even Greece where some of the cousins may still share the family name but follow a different religion. Image File history File links AliFuatCebesoy. ... Image File history File links MustafaFehmiKubilay. ... Image File history File links HüsamettinCindoruk. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... The Bektashi order is a Sufi Dervish order which has evolved into a religious sect. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1065x477, 140 KB)[edit] Summary The Freighter Giresun Source: www. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1065x477, 140 KB)[edit] Summary The Freighter Giresun Source: www. ... Giresun (Greek: Κερασούντα)is a town in north-eastern Turkey with 90,000 inhabitants (2003 estimate) on the Black Sea. ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Crete (Greek: Κρήτη Kríti; Turkish: Girit) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations This was a document signed at Lausanne, Switzerland, January 30, 1923, between the governments and Greece and Turkey. ... The Çanakkale seafront, with wooden horse from the 2004 film Troy Çanakkale, pronounced , is a town and seaport in Turkey, in Çanakkale Province, on the southern (Asiatic) coast of the Dardanelles (or Hellespont). ... Ä°skenderun panorama Ä°skenderun (formerly known in the west as Alexandretta, from Greek Ἀλεξανδρέττα; in Arabic الإسكندرون, al-Skanderoon) [Alexandrette in French] is a district and its center in the Turkish province of Hatay. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Old Town Aleppo viewed from the Citadel Aleppo is also the name of two townships in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Tripoli (Arabic: طرابلس Tarābulus) is the capital city of Libya. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Palestine (from Latin: ; Hebrew: Pleshet, פלשתינה Palestina; Arabic: ‎ FilastÄ«n, FalastÄ«n) is one of several names for the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the banks of the Jordan River with various adjoining lands. ... Alexandria Modern Alexandria, from Qaitbays Citadel Antiquity and modernity stand side-by-side in Egypts chief Mediterranean seaport. ... Tanta (Arabic: طنطا ) is a city of Egypt, capital of the Al Gharbiyah governorate on the Nile Delta, and at an estimated 335,000 inhabitants, considered the capital of the Delta. ... Crete (Greek: Κρήτη Kríti; Turkish: Girit) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ...

History

Culture

Cretan Turkish Culture while in Crete

The "Cretan School" within Ottoman Divan poetry is defined to count twenty-one poets who composed in Ottoman or vernacular Turkish, especially in the 18th century ^[1] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

A taste and echo of this tradition can be perceived in the verses below by Sırrı Pasha (1844 - 1895); 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Fidânsın nev-nihâl-i hüsn ü ânsın âfet-i cânsın
Gül âşık bülbül âşıkdır sana, bir özge cânânsın ^[2]

which were certainly addressed to his wife, the poetess-composer Leyla Saz (1845 - 1936), herself of Cretan roots and one of the first Turkish women to have stepped into the modern traditions of the Turkish literature. Her "Hymn to the Mediterranean" (Akdeniz Marşı), in praise of Mustafa Kemal Pasha and in reference to the Turkish War of Independence, had lasting popularity and is constantly being sung in our day in Turkey's schools, caserns and else, remaining instantly recognizable. 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A page from the Dîvân-ı Fuzûlî, the collected poems of the 16th-century Ottoman poet Fuzûlî Turkish literature is the collection of written and oral texts composed in the Turkish language, either in its Ottoman form or in less exclusively literary forms, such as that spoken... A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ... Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–November 10, 1938), Turkish revolutionist, soldier, and anti-imperialist statesman, was the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. ... Combatants Turkish Revolutionaries Triple Entente, Greece, Armenia Commanders Mustafa Kemal Ismet Inonu Kazim Karabekir Ali Fuat Cebesoy Fevzi Çakmak Papoulas Hatzianestis The Turkish War of Independence (Turkish: KurtuluÅŸ Savaşı), or sometimes referred to as birth of a nation was part of the political and military events that began with the... In fortification, caserns, also spelled cazern or caserne, are little rooms, lodgments, or apartments, erected between the ramparts, and the houses of fortified towns, or even on the ramparts themselves; to serve as lodgings for the soldiers of the garrison, to ease the garrison. ...

Yaslı gittim şen geldim,
Aç koynunu ben geldim,
Bana bir yudum su ver,
Çok uzak yoldan geldim^[3]

Cretan Turkish Culture in Turkey

Among contributions made by Cretan Turks to the Turkish culture in general, the first to be mentioned should be their particular culinary traditions based on consumption at high-levels of olive oil and of a surprisingly wide array of herbs and other plant-based raw materials. While they have certainly not introduced olive oil and herbs to their compatriots, Cretan Turks have greatly extended the knowledge and paved the way for a more varied use of these products. Their predilection for herbs, some of which could be considered as unusual ones, has also been the source of some jokes. The Giritli chain of restaurants in İstanbul, Ankara and Bodrum, and Ayşe Ün's "Girit Mutfağı" (Cretan Cuisine) eateries in İzmir are indicative references in this regard. Occasional although intrinsically inadequate care has also been demonstrated by the authorities in the first years of the Turkish Republic for settling Cretan Turks in localities where vineyards left by the departed Greeks were found, since this capital was bound to be lost in the hands of cultivators with no prior knowledge of viniculture. The pioneer of gulet boats construction that became a vast industry in Bodrum in our day, Ziya Güvendiren (Naim'in Ziya Usta), was a Cretan Turk, as are many of his former apprentices who themselves have become master shipbuilders and who are based in Bodrum or Güllük today. The location of Istanbul Province Maiden Tower and Historical Peninsula of Istanbul Istanbul (Turkish: Ä°stanbul) (the former Constantinople, Greek: Κωνσταντινούπολις) is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. ... Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the countrys second largest city after Istanbul. ... Bodrum Castle can be seen on the upper left corner, Bodrum marina is located on the right side of the bay Bodrum (formerly Budrum, previously Petronium, originally Halicarnassus) is a Turkish port in MuÄŸla Province. ... Ä°zmir (Greek: Σμύρνη) is the third most populous city of Turkey and the countrys largest port after Ä°stanbul. ... A vineyard A vineyard is a place where grapes are grown for making wine, raisins, or table grapes. ... Viniculture is the science of winemaking, or the craft of growing grapes to make wine. ... Bodrum Gulet Maidens of the Sea The gulet is the boat of the celebrated Blue Cruises along Turkeys spectacular southwest coast. ...

Greek perception of Cretan Turks

The Greek perception of Cretan Turks has been largely self-referential, putting the emphasis on local conversions and their parlance used the terms "Turk" and "Greek" in a religious rather than ethnic or racial meaning (Turks themselves would have more readily used the term "Muslim" at the time). A Greek observer remarks that we are acquainted with extremely few cases of Muslim Cretan lyra-players as against Cretan Greeks (the very name for that instrument in Turkish language being Rum kemençesi - Greek kemenche). ^[4]. In the later novels by Nikos Kazantzakis, Cretan Turks also had to assume unflattering roles attributing, although in his earlier masterpiece, "a wise old Cretan Turk" forever affectionately recalled, Recep Efendi, teaches Zorba how to play the santuri, considered a less sophisticated cousin of qanun in Turkish classical music. Greek vase with muse playing kithara A lyre is a stringed musical instrument well known for its use in Classical Antiquity. ... Turkish (Türkçe) is a Turkic language spoken natively by the Turkish people in Turkey, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Republic of Macedonia and other countries of the former Ottoman Empire, as well as by several million emigrants in the European Union. ... 1 Tepe - Top : Same as the body To Kifal - Head : Same as the body 2 Otia - Pegs (Ears): Same as the body 3 Goula - Neck : Same as the body 4 Spaler - Fingerboard (Slabbering bib) : Same as the body 5 Kapak - Soundboard 6 Rothounia - Soundholes (Nostrals) 7 Gaidaron - Bridge (Rider): Made... Nikos Kazantzakis (Greek Νίκος Καζαντζάκης February 18, 1883, Heraklion, Crete, Greece - October 26, 1957, Freiburg, Germany) was a Greek novelist, poet, playwright and philosopher. ... Zorba the Greek is a 1964 movie by Michael Cacoyannis, originally titled Alexis Zorbas, based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. ... Santur Woman playing the santur in a painting from the Hasht-Behesht Palace in Isfahan Iran, 1669 The santÅ«r (سنتور) is a hammered dulcimer of Iran. ... The qanún is a musical string instrument used in Middle-Eastern music. ... Ottoman classical music (Türk Sanat Müziği) is a kind of music that developed parallel with the Ottoman Empire. ...

Notable Cretan Turks

• Ahmed Resmî Efendi: 18th century Ottoman statesman, diplomat and author (notably of two sefâretnâme). Ottoman ambassador in Berlin (during Frederick the Great's reign).
• Ali Baba Giritli: 18th century Bektashi mystic and author of several works of a Sufi nature.
• Rahmizâde Bahaeddin Bediz: The first Turkish photographer by profession. The thousands of photographs he took, based as of 1895 successively in Crete, İzmir, İstanbul and Ankara (as Head of the Photography Department of Turkish Historical Society founded by Atatürk), have immense historical value.
• Leyla Saz: Late-19th/early-20th century poetess issued from the Ottoman elite,
• Ali Fuat Cebesoy: Close aide of Atatürk. His father İsmail Fazıl Pasha was Cretan, and his mother was a member of the Ottoman elite. İsmail Fazıl Pasha himself has been the first Minister of Public Works in the newly-constituted Ankara government in 1920, and by extension, for the republican Turkey.
• Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay: National hero who was lynched by a group of Naqshbandi rebels in 1930 in Menemen (called Kubilay incident or Menemen incident in Turkish history) that greatly influenced the direction of politics in Turkey in the thirties.
• Hüsamettin Cindoruk: Former Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly who could have become the Prime Minister in 1993 if he had not opted for remaining in that seat, thus opening the path for Tansu Çiller. Cindoruk had kept the helm of the Turkey's traditional center-right in the eighties, during Süleyman Demirel's forced absence from politics.
• Simavi family: Former owners of the very prominent Hürriyet newspaper. Their roots are reportedly traced to the town of Simav in western Anatolia.
• Ekrem Pakdemirli: Prominent Turkish politician.
• Halil Berktay: Turkish historian.
• Ömer Kavur: Award-winning Turkish film director.
• Orhan Suda: Journalist and Turkish socialist thinker, Named after the town of Souda.
• Pakize Suda: Former singer, current columnist, the daughter of Orhan Suda.
• Ayla Algan: Turkish singer.

Among other personalities with partial Cretan Turkish descent, highly nationalistic investigative journalist Emin Çölaşan, other notable names from the Turkish media such as İlhan Selçuk and Doğan Hızlan can be cited. Writer Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, alias Halikarnas Balıkçısı (The Fisherman of Halicarnassus), has often let himself be cited as Cretan, although he descends from an Ottoman family with roots in Afyonkarahisar, and his father had been an Ottoman High Comissar in Crete and later ambassador in Athens. Likewise, as stated above, Giritli Mustafa Naili Pasha was Albanian/Egyptian. ^[5] Turkish houses in Resmo (Rethymno) where Ahmed Resmî Efendi was born and had spent the first forty years of his life Ahmed Resmî Efendi, also called Ahmed bin Ä°brahim Giridî, which mean, respectively, Ahmed Efendi of Resmo, or Ahmed the son of Ä°brahim the Cretan, was a Cretan Turk statesman... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Sefaretnâme (سفارت نامه), literally the book of embassy, was a genre in the Turkish literature which was closely related to seyahatname, but which was specific to the recounting of journeys and experiences of an Ottoman ambassador in a foreign, usually European, land and capital. ... Poor but sexy Berlin is the capital city and a state of Germany. ... Frederick the Great Frederick II of Prussia (Friedrich der Große, Frederick the Great, January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786) was the Hohenzollern king of Prussia 1740–86. ... The Bektashi order is a Sufi religious order (Tarika). ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... Rahmizade Bahaeddin Bediz Rahmizâde Bahaeddin (or Bahaeddin Bediz after the 1934 Law on Family Names in Turkey) was a Cretan Turk who is generally agreed by historians to be the first Turkish photographer by profession. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Ä°zmir (Greek: Σμύρνη) is the third most populous city of Turkey and the countrys largest port after Ä°stanbul. ... The location of Istanbul Province Maiden Tower and Historical Peninsula of Istanbul Istanbul (Turkish: Ä°stanbul) (the former Constantinople, Greek: Κωνσταντινούπολις) is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. ... Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the countrys second largest city after Istanbul. ... Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–November 10, 1938), Turkish army officer, revolutionary, and anti-imperialist statesman, was the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Ali Fuat Cebesoy (born September 1882, Ä°stanbul – death January 10, 1968, Ä°stanbul) is an officer, politician and statesman. ... Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–November 10, 1938), Turkish army officer, revolutionary, and anti-imperialist statesman, was the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. ... The Ottoman Turks were the ethnic subdivision of the Turkish people who dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. ... Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the countrys second largest city after Istanbul. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ... Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay (1906-1930) was a Turkish national hero, considered as martry of revolution. ... Naqshbandi (Naqshbandiyya) is one of four major Sufi orders (tariqa) of Islam. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... Menemen is a district of Ä°zmir Province of Turkey. ... The Grand National Assembly (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi in Turkish) is the unicameral parliament of Turkey which carries out legislative functions. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Tansu Çiller International Phonetic Alphabet: (born 9 October 1946) is an economist and politician in Turkey. ... Millennia: 1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium Events and trends Computers, technology Bulletin board system popularity Popularization of personal computers, Walkmans, VHS videocassette recorders, and compact disc (CD) players Home video games become enormously popular, most notably Atari until the market crashes in 1983; the rise of Nintendo brings about... Süleyman Demirel Süleyman Demirel (born November 1, 1924) is a Turkish politician who served as prime minister seven times and was the 9th President of Turkey. ... Hürriyet (Liberty) is a secular centrist, high-circulation daily Turkish newspaper. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Asia Minor lies east of the Bosporus, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. ... Born in Turkey in 1947. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... Souda (Greek: Σούδα) is a town and municipality of the Greek island of Crete, in the prefecture of Chania. ... Map of the Aegean Sea, showing the location of Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum, Turkey) Halicarnassus (; modern Bodrum; see also List of traditional Greek place names), an ancient Greek city on the southwest coast of Caria, Asia Minor, on a picturesque and advantageous site on the Ceramic Gulf (Gulf of Cos, Gulf... The Ottoman Turks were the ethnic subdivision of the Turkish people who dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. ... Afyonkarahisar (Turkish for the black opium castle) is a city in western Turkey, also known simply as Afyon (i. ... Crete (Greek: Κρήτη Kríti; Turkish: Girit) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα, Athína IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of Greece and the birthplace of democracy. ... Giritli Mustafa Naili Pasha (Mustafa Naili Pasha the Cretan) is an Ottoman grand vizier who held office twice during the reign of Abdülmecid, the first time between 14 May 1853 and 29 May 1854, and the second time between 6 August 1857 - 22 October 1857 . ...

See also

• Turkish people
• History of Crete
• Greek-speaking Muslims
• Cretan Muslims

The Turks, (Turkish: Türkler), or the Turkish people (Türk Halkı), are a nation (millet) in the meaning an ethnos (Halk in Turkish), defined more by a sense of sharing a common Turkish culture and having a Turkish mother tongue, than by citizenship, religion or by being subjects to... // Prehistoric Crete Little is known about the rise of ancient Cretan society, because very few written records remain. ... The term Greek-speaking Muslims corresponds to three diverse groups of people currently living in Turkey: 1. ... Cretan Muslims (Greek: Τουρκοκρητικοί Turkokritiki) were a religious group of Crete that came about as a consequence of the Ottoman rule on the island between 1645-1908 (see below for clarifications on the dates), principally through conversions of local Cretan Greeks to Islam. ...

References

The Bektashi order is a Sufi religious order (Tarika). ... Ottoman (in Turkish Osmanlı) may refer to: Look up Ottoman and ottoman in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Events 1727 to 1800 - Lt. ... 1761 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1768 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Turkish houses in Resmo (Rethymno) where Ahmed Resmî Efendi was born and had spent the first forty years of his life Ahmed Resmî Efendi, also called Ahmed bin Ä°brahim Giridî, which mean, respectively, Ahmed Efendi of Resmo, or Ahmed the son of Ä°brahim the Cretan, was a Cretan Turk statesman... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Events March 2 - Small earthquake in London, England April 4 - Small earthquake in Warrington, England August 23 - Small earthquake in Spalding, England September 30 - Small earthquake in Northampton, England November 16 – Westminster Bridge officially opened Jonas Hanway is the first Englishman to use an umbrella James Gray reveals her sex... 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Hürriyet (Liberty) is a secular centrist, high-circulation daily Turkish newspaper. ...

Sources

• Lozan Mübadilleri: The Association of Turks exchanged under Lausanne Treaty
• İzmir Life magazine, June 2003
• Kritimu; novellized souvenirs by Saba Altınsay[3]