It was October 2011.
A message came from Morris on my hospitality account. This 28-year-old boy, who set off from Athens on his motorcycle, needed a one-night stay on the Kars, Hopa, Georgia and Azerbaijan route.
We hosted Morris as we did over a hundred other guests we invited to our house. When he arrived at our home in Erzurum, we were surprised: Morris spoke fluent Turkish. When he said, "I am from Santa," my eyes widened in wonder. "Santa is my neighboring village, let's talk about it." I said. Then, he shared the following sad story:
Morris was from Santa but from the Santa Village in Georgia. His father was from the Santa I knew. In 1923, over one million Greeks from Turkey were abandoned from their locations. Morris's family did not want to believe in this. After all, they did not want to leave their homeland where they lived for hundreds of years... So, the peasants decided to migrate to Georgia, which was closer to their town and wait there, rather than moving to Greece. Somehow soon some smart leader would come out and see the absurdity of asking people leaving their homeland. They too would return to their village after a while ...
You know, the arrangements that Morris's family dreamed of never materialized. Eventually, when Morris was 12, his family immigrated to Greece. He studied there and became an engineer. Now, he has decided to follow in the traces of his ancestors and see Santa in both the Black Sea and Georgia.
I'm sure some racists reading this post will question Morris' goodwill. So, let me open a bracket: The Van earthquake occurred shortly after Morris left us. Do you know what he did when he heard about the earthquake? He changed its route to Georgia, joined the volunteers in Van and helped for a while.
"Our people named the village they founded in Georgia Santa. Only Turkish was spoken in our village. I learned Greek after I returned to Greece when I was 12 years old." says Morris.
Do you know why I shared the story of Morris from Santa? I shared it so that maybe you read and think.
I do not know if the Greeks who oppressed the Turks in Western Thrace do the same, but maybe those who live in the houses former Greeks from the Black Sea, such as me, feel what the former inhabitants of those towns experienced, how they were exposed to traumas, and so they can empathize.
I shared this story to make you understand that it is nonsense to declare those hundreds of years old friends and neighbors in one day.
I shared this story with the hope that my fellow from the Black Sea who feels sorry about the Bosnian raped by her Serbian neighbor, reflects that the person who made the quarry stone in his house was a Greek who died during a forcible exchange journey.
Why hadn't anyone told me that the cornerstones of the house where my childhood passed were put by Greeks? Did they want to forget what happened? Or was it that ordinary to use the neighbor's land, house, and belongings?
I question them and speak, but I also know that human beings have made the same mistakes throughout history. And I'm afraid they will continue to do it anyway. However, I hope that even a few people understand this mistake and stop cruelty and nonsense.
I ask myself, "How could people mark the people they considered as teachers, doctors and nurses until the day before as treacherous?"
I wonder if some of the turbaned imams said for the Greeks who were forced to exchange too: "Their wives, daughters, schools and institutions are a godsend for you. Use them as you wish"
I ask myself "How come my uncle, who witnessed the imbeciles who shot a bullet at their neighbor on September 12 events in Turkey, was able to call me a terrorist?"
Then I look and see: Believing the words of a mad and cruel dictator, millions of Germans did the same treating their neighbors as terrorists, collapsing their property, helping their persecution, and burning them in camps.
So the same wheel of cruelty will keep repeating again in this old world. The persecutors will sometimes be Fascists, sometimes Communists, sometimes Christians, sometimes Hindus, sometimes Muslims, but mostly relatives, neighbors and friends ...
However, even the shadow of illegitimate goods is illegitimate. Therefore, object when your neighbor, relatives or other people are asked to be persecuted. Say to those who ask you to do so "Shut up you idiot!". In fact, not only do not be a party to the persecution, but also try to prevent it. Otherwise, Morris from Santa yesterday, Zechariah with Sifter today, you tomorrow, this cruelty will go on and on...
