In recent days, a huge amount of fake news in English has been observed that misinforms. It is claimed that Troy is part of the “ancient Turkey” and that the Trojans were “ancient Turks”.
According to Turkish historical tradition, immediately after the decisive Battle of Dumlupınar (August 1922), which led to the retreat of the Greek army from Asia Minor, Mustafa Kemal (called Atatürk) is said to have declared to his officers: “Now I have avenged Hector”. But Hector was from Troy. He was the prince – leader of the Trojan army. How was he “avenged”, only Kemal knows.
Mustafa Kemal and subsequent Turkish ideologists attempted to connect modern Turkey with the ancient people of Asia Minor (such as the Trojans and Hittites), presenting them as the ancestors of the Turks, to establish a historical continuity in the region.
But what really happened in Asia Minor?
The Turks appeared en masse in Asia Minor in the 11th century AD. Their permanent settlement and gradual domination of the region evolved through two main historical waves:
1. The Seljuk Turks (11th century)
The Battle of Manzikert (1071 AD): It is the decisive turning point. The Seljuk army under Sultan Alp Arslan defeated the Byzantine forces of Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes in eastern Asia Minor. After this victory, the gates of Asia Minor were opened to the Turkoman tribes of Central Asia. The Seljuks founded the Sultanate of Rum with its capital at Iconium (nowadays Konya), beginning the ethnological and religious transformation of the region.
2. The Ottoman Turks (13th–14th century)
During the 13th century, new Turkic tribes (the ancestors of the Ottomans) pressed into Asia Minor, trying to escape Mongol raids. In the early 14th century, the Ottomans organized themselves into a powerful warring group in northwestern Asia Minor, which eventually overthrew the Byzantine Empire and completely dominated the region.
It is said that during the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror declared that he had avenged Troy on the "Greeks" (Byzantines).
The Way of Life of the Early Turkic Tribes
The early tribes (Turkmen or Yoruq in the 11th century AD) were nomadic herders who lived in tents (yurts). They were constantly on the move in search of pastures for their herds, mainly in the highlands of central Anatolia. They were organized into clans and tribes, led by "beys" (local military leaders). Although they had converted to Islam, they retained many elements of their original shamanism, creating a more relaxed, mystical form of religion (Sufism).
With the establishment of the Sultanate of Rum, many nomads began to settle in cities, engage in trade and mix with the native Christian population.
The Turks have no ethnological or historical relationship with the ancient Trojans, as these two different peoples lived in the region in completely different historical periods.
The only relationship between them is purely geographical, since the ruins of ancient Troy are located in the territory of present-day Turkey (in the Çanakkale province).
The two peoples are separated by over 2,000 years
The Trojan War dates back to around the 12th century BC, while the Turks first appeared in Asia Minor in the 11th century AD.
The ancient Trojans were an indigenous people of Bronze Age Anatolia (with strong cultural influences from the Hittites and Greeks).
In contrast, the Turks are descended from nomadic tribes of Central Asia (near Mongolia and Siberia).
As previously mentioned, the connection between the Turks and Troy comes mainly from a fairy tale. When Mehmed II the Conqueror captured Constantinople in 1453 (and later when he visited the Troy area in 1462), some historians of the time (such as Michael Kritovoulos) wrote that the sultan declared that he had "taken revenge for the Trojans" against the Greeks. This statement was simply a political and rhetorical move of the time to legitimize Ottoman rule in the eyes of Europe, using well-known Greek mythology, and not a statement of real kinship.
Who really were the ancient Trojans?
Excavations in the Hisarlik (Troy) area and the deciphering of Hittite archives have shed light on the identity of the Trojans. In the records of the Hittites (the great empire of Anatolia), Troy is referred to as Viloussa, which is directly related to the Homeric name Ilion.
The Trojans were people of Anatolia. They probably spoke Luwian, a language of the region, closely related to the Hittite language.
Due to its geographical location on the Dardanelles Strait, Troy was a cosmopolitan trading post. It combined the material culture of the Near East (fortification architecture) with trade and contacts with the Mycenaean world of Greece.
The invocation of Troy by Mehmed II the Conqueror was not accidental, but served specific political goals of the Ottoman Empire:
By presenting the capture of Constantinople as "the revenge of the Trojans against the Greeks", Mehmed tried to integrate himself into the European historical consciousness. He wanted to show that the fall of Byzantium was the completion of an ancient historical cycle.
In medieval Europe there was a theory that many Western people (such as the Franks and the Romans through Aeneas) were descended from the Trojans. The Ottomans used the same myth to tell the Europeans: "We are also part of this heritage". By linking his state with Troy, the Sultan declared that he was the legitimate heir and sovereign of all the lands of Asia Minor and the Aegean, having deep roots in the region.
Of course, all of these are lies, by those who have no connection to Asia Minor and its History. After conquering the region, they tried to establish themselves with various narratives. However, the truth cannot be hidden behind the ahistorical narratives of the Turks.
For those (mainly Turks) who question the article they have just read, we invite them to read the Real History of the Turks and Asia Minor, from books by recognized international publishing houses, such as British. If this seems difficult to them, they can refer to Artificial Intelligence in the internet, submitting the relevant questions about the origin of the Turks and their relationship to Troy.
History does not change because one or two unhistorical conquerors wanted it so or because some imaginative Presidents of young states are trying to do so.
Reproduction of the article may only be done with a clear reference to the source CosmoStatus and the use of a live link
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου