Mister President,
For almost seven centuries, the whole of the Near East and a large part of Central Europe was a theatre for bloody wars. The main cause of this was the Ottoman Empire and the absolutist regime of the Sultans. The subjugation of Christian people, the religious wars of the cross against the Crescent which inevitably followed, and the successive resurgences of all the peoples who aspired to their liberation created a situation which remained a permanent source of danger as long as the Ottoman Empire retained the imprint of the Sultans.
The foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1922, when the natioanl movement of Mustafa Kemal Pasha triumphed over its adversaries, put a definitive end to that state of instability and intolerance. Indeed, very rarely has such a radical change been achieved in so short a time in the life of a nation. An empire in decline, living under a theocratic regime where the notions of law and religion intermingled, was turned into a modern nation state, full of vigour and life.
Through the impetus given by the great reformer Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the absolutist regime of the Sultans was abolished, and the state became truly secular. The whole nation embraced progress, rightly ambitious to be present at the forefront of civilized peoples.
But the consolidation of peace went hand in hand with all the internal reforms which gave the new, predominantlyethnic Turkish state the image it has nowadays. Indeed, Turkey did not hesitate to accept legally the loss of provinces inhabited by other nationalities and, satisfied with the ethnic and political borders defined by the treaties, she became a true pillar for peace in the Near East.
We, the Greeks, who had been driven for centuries of bloody battles into continuous confrontation with Turkey, were the first to feel the effects of the deep change which occurred in that country, the successor of the old Ottoman Empire.
Having discerned, very soon after the catastrophe in Asia Minor, the opportunity of an understanding with reborn Turkey - which came out of the war as a national state-we offered her our hand which she took with sincerity.
This rapprochement, which shows that even peoples divided by the most serious differences can come closer to each otherwhen they become filled with the sincere desire for peace, was beneficial both for the two countries involved and for keeping the peace in the Near East.
The man to whom this invaluable contribution to the cause of peace is due is, of course, the President of the Turkish Republic, Moustafa Kemal Pasha.
Thus, I have the honour, as the leader of the Hellenic Government in 1930, when the signature of the Greek-Turkishpact marked a new era in the march of the Near East towards peace, to propose Moustafa Kemal Pasha as a candidate for the distinguished honour of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Yours sincerely,
E. K. Venizelos , 1934
(the original letter is in French.Translation from French into English by Stella Colston)
* * *
I received the following two interesting translations of Venizelos letter, to Nobel committee, from Dr. Christos Katsetos.
Evangelos Rigos
HEC Director - link
"In November 2004, I received from The Norwegian Nobel Institute, Oslo, Norway a photocopy of the original letter of nomination by Eleftherios K. Venizelos for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to be bestowed upon the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Ataturk).
It should be noted that this benchmark nomination is hardly mentioned in Greek historiographic sources and the existence of such letter is unknown even among respected Greek scholars let alone the Greek public at large. Moreover, the exact content of the letter in question is, to my knowledge, hitherto unknown.
The original 3-page, double-spaced letter bearing Eleftherios Venizelos' signature (and on the first page his handwritten date, "Athenes le 12 Janvier 1934") will be reproduced by permission of the Norwegian Nobel Institute in a manuscript which is currently in preparation."
Christos D. Katsetos
MD, PhD, FRCPath"
* * *
Just by Name on Nobel Prize Org.web
Nomination Database: PEACE
Year : 1934
Nominee: Mustafa Pascha Kemal
Profession: Founder and president of the Republic of Turkey
Nominator: B.K.Veniselos
Profession : Member of the Greek parliament, Athens
* PS:
We always knew, and you can not find these letter on the web of Nobel Prize.org, or anywhere else....nor a word for this letter in Venizelos Foundation web, and just for that nomination, Venizelos is a traitor to some Greek people... This is one of the most important document indicating the friendship of the Turkish-Greek relation, but they also don't know "Kurtuluş Vapuru" (İndependence Ferry) who helped in WWII, brings food to Athens and took injured and brought to Istanbul, or escaping Greeks to Turkish coast, and get help from Turks. Just 10-20 years ago they were in War... ... Who is the racist? wink ifade simgesi History is written not by scholars, but by partisans impersonating scholars! And that must and shall change... - SB
PEACE AT HOME - PEACE IN THE WORLD
MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK
“Bay Başkan
Yedi asra yakın bir süre zarfında Yakın Doğu ve Orta Avrupa’nın büyük bir kısmı kanlı mücadelelere sahne olmuştur. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu ve sultanların mutlakıyetçi idareleri bunun başlıca amili idi. Hristiyan milletlerin İmparatorluğa bağlanmaları ve bundan mütevellit Salibin Hilâle karşı yaptığı kaçınılmaz mücadeleler, kurtulma emeli ile bu milletlerce yapılan isyanlar, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu sultanların idaresinde kaldığı sürece devamlı tehlike kaynağı teşkil eden bir durum husule getiriyordu.
Mustafa Kemal Paşa’nın muhasımlarına karşı yaptığı milli harekâtın galibiyetle sonuçlanmasını müteakip 1923 yılında Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin kurulması, bu istikrarsız duruma son verdi. Bir milletin hayatında bu kadar kısa bir süre içinde böylesine köklü bir değişme nadir vuku bulmuştur. Teokratik bir rejim içinde yaşayan, din ile hukuk kavramlarının birbirine karıştığı çökme yolundaki bir imparatorluğun yerini güç ve hayat dolu modern ve milli bir devlet almıştır.
Büyük devrimci Mustafa Kemal Paşa’nın başlattığı hızla, mutlakıyetçi sultanlar rejimi yıkılmış ve gerçekten laik bir devlet kurulmuştur. Millet tümüyle çağdaş uygarlıkların önünde yer almak için şevk ile ilerleme yolunda bir atılım yapmıştır. Barışı takviye hareketi yeni ve seçkin Türk devletine bugünkü görüntüsünü veren tüm iç reform hareketleriyle birlikte yürümüştür. Türkiye yabancı unsurlarla meskûn vilâyetlerini terk etmek hususunda tereddüt etmemiş ve antlaşmalarda belirtildiği üzere kendi milli sınırları ile samimi şekilde iktifa ederek Yakın Doğu’da barışın gerçek bir savunucusu olmuştur.
Kanlı mücadeleler nedeni ile uzun yıllar Türkiye ile düşman durumunda kalan biz Yunanlılar, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun yerini alan bu ülkede vuku bulan bu köklü değişikliğin etkilerini duyan ilk kimseler olduk. Anadolu faciasının hemen akabinde kendini yenileyen Türkiye’ye bir anlaşma fırsatı görerek elimizi uzattık. O, bu uzanan eli samimiyetle kabul etti. Ciddi anlaşmazlıklarla ayrılmış olan milletlerle samimi bir barış örneği veren bu yakınlaşmadan sadece, iki ülke için olduğu kadar Yakın Doğu barışı için de yararlı sonuçlar doğmuştur. Barışın medyun olduğu bu kıymetli katkının sahibi kişi Türkiye Cumhurbaşkanı Mustafa Kemal Paşa’dır.
Bu nedenle 1930 yılında Yunan Hükümet Başkanı sıfatı ile ben Türk-Yunan Paktı’nın imzası ile Yakın Doğu’da barışa doğru yeni bir devir başlarken, Mustafa Kemal Paşa’yı Yüksek Nobel Barış Ödülü için aday göstermekle şeref kazanırım.
İhtiramatı faikamın kabulünü rica ederim, Bay Başkan.
E.K. Venizelos
Athenes, 1934
* 1934 yılı Nobel Barış Ödülü Amerika Birleşik Devletleri Başkanı Franklin Delano Roosevelt’in de aralarında bulunduğu, toplam yüz üç kurum, kuruluş ve şahıs için teklifte bulunulmuş ancak silahsızlanma çalışmalarından dolayı İngiliz İşçi Partisi lideri Arthur Henderson’a verilmiştir. 1930’larda Türk -Yunan ilişkilerinde dostluk ve işbirliğinin geldiği noktayı gösteren önemli belgelerden biri olmasına rağmen Yunanlılar bilmez....Gıda götürüp, yaralıları İstanbul'a getiren Kurtuluş Vapuru'nu bilmedikleri gibi...Ya da 2.Dünya Savaşı yüzünden kaçan Yunanlıların, kıyı şehirlerimize sığınıp yardım aldıklarını....
* * *
Monsieur le Président du Comité
dur Prix Nobel du Storting
Oslo - Norvége
Monsieur le Président
Pendant prés de sept siécles tout le Proche-Orient et une grande partie de l'Europe centrale fut le theâtre de guerres sanglantes. L'empire Ottoman et le régime absolutiste des Sultans en fut la cause principale.
L'assujettissement de peuples chrétiens, les guerres religieuses de la Croix contre le Croissant qui en resultérent fatalement et les insurrections successives de tous ces peuples aspirant à leur affranchissement, créaient un état de choses qui devait demeurer comme une source constante de périls tant que l'Empire Ottoman conservait l'empreinte qu'y avaient donné les Sultans.
L'instauration de la République Turque en 1922, lorsque le mouvement national de Moustapha Kemal Pacha triompha de ses adversaires, mit définitivement fin à cet état d'instabilité et d'intolérance.
Rarement, en effet, fut réalisé en si peu de temps un changement aussi radical dans la vie d'une nation.
A un empire en de déclin, vivant sous un régime théocratique où la notion du droit et de la religion se confondaient, se substitua un état national et moderne, plein de vigueur et de vie.
Sous l'impulsion du grand réformateur, Moustapha Kemal Pacha, le régime absolutiste des Sultans fut aboli, et l'état devint franchement laïque. La nation toute entière s'élançait vers le progrès, ambitieuse, à juste titre, de figurer à l'avant garde des peuples civilisés.
Mais le mouvement pour la consolidation de la paix marcha de pair avec toutes les réformes intérieures qui donnèrent son aspect actuel au nouvel état eminemment ethique de la Turquie. En effet la Turquie n'hésita pas d'accepter loyalement la perte de provinces habitées par d'autres nationalités et, franchement satisfaite de ses frontières ethiques et politiques, ainsi définies par les traités elle est devenue un vrai pillier de la paix dans le Proche-Orient.
C'est nous autres Grecs, que des luttes sanglantes tinrent pendant de longs siècles en état d'antagonisme continu avec la Turquie qui eumes les premiers l'occasion de ressentir les effets du changement profond survenu dans ce pays, successeur de l'ancien Empire Ottoman.
Ayant, dès le lendemain de la catastrophe d'Asie Mineure, disserné la possibilité d'une entente avec la Turquie régénerée, issue de la guerre comme état national, nous lui tendîmes la main qu'elle accepta avec sincerité.
De ce rapprochement pouvant servir d'exemple quant aux possibilités d'entente même entre des peuples que les plus graves divergences ont divisé, lorsque ceux-ci se laissent pénétrer du désir sincère de la paix, il n'est resulté que des bienfaits tant pour les deux pays en cause, que pour le maintien de l'ordre pacifique dans le Proche-Orient.
Or l'homme à qui cette contribution précieuse à la cause de la paix est dûe est bien le Président de la République Turque Moustapha Kemal Pacha.
J'ai done l'honneur en qualité de chef du Gouvernement Hellénique en 1930, lorsque la signature du pact Gréceture marqua une ère nouvelle dans la voie du Proche Orient vers la paix, de poser la candidature de Moustapha Kemal Pacha à l'insigne honneur du prix Nobel pour la Paix.
Veuillex agréer, Monsieur le Président, l'assurance de ma plus haute considération.
E.K. Venizelos
Athenes le 12 Janvier 1934
* * *
Αθήνα, 12 Ιανουαρίου 1934
Κύριε Πρόεδρε,
Για περίπου επτά αιώνες ολόκληρη η Μέση Ανατολή και μεγάλο τμήμα της Κεντρικής Ευρώπης αποτέλεσαν θέατρο αιματηρών πολέμων. Κύρια αιτία γι αυτούς ήταν η Οθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία και το απολυταρχικό καθεστώς των Σουλτάνων.
Η υποδούλωση χριστιανικών λαών, οι θρησκευτικοί πόλεμοι του Σταυρού εναντίον της Ημισελήνου που μοιραία επακολούθησαν και οι διαδοχικές εξεγέρσεις όλων αυτών των λαών που προσέβλεπαν στην απελευθέρωσή τους δημιουργούσαν μια κατάσταση πραγμάτων που θα παρέμενε μόνιμη πηγή κινδύνων όσο η Οθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία διατηρούσε τα ίχνη που της είχαν αφήσει οι Σουλτάνοι.
Η εγκαθίδρυση της Τουρκικής Δημοκρατίας το 1922, όταν το εθνικό κίνημα του Μουσταφά Κεμάλ Πασά θριάμβευσε επί των αντιπάλων του, έθεσε οριστικά τέλος σ' αυτή την κατάσταση αστάθειας και μισαλλοδοξίας.
Πράγματι, σπάνια στη ζωή ενός έθνους πραγματοποιήθηκε σε τόσο λίγο χρόνο μια αλλαγή τόσο ριζική. Μια παρακμάζουσα αυτοκρατορία που ζούσε υπό θεοκρατικό καθεστώς στο οποίο οι έννοιες του δικαίου και της θρησκείας συγχέονταν μετατράπηκε σ`ένα εθνικό και σύγχρονο κράτος, γεμάτο ενέργεια και ζωή.
Με την ώθηση του μεγάλου μεταρρυθμιστή Μουσταφά Κεμάλ το απολυταρχικό καθεστώς των Σουλτάνων καταλύθηκε και το κράτος κατέστη αληθινά κοσμικό. Το έθνος ολόκληρο στράφηκε προς την πρόοδο, με την θεμιτή φιλοδοξία να ενταχθεί στην πρωτοπορία των πολιτισμένων λαών.
Όμως το κίνημα για την εδραίωση της ειρήνης προχώρησε από κοινού με όλες εκείνες τις εσωτερικές μεταρρυθμίσεις που προσέδωσαν στο νέο κυρίως εθνικό κράτος της Τουρκίας τη σημερινή του μορφή. Πράγματι η Τουρκία δεν δίστασε να αποδεχθεί ειλικρινά την απώλεια επαρχιών όπου κατοικούσαν άλλες εθνότητες και, ικανοποιημένη πραγματικά με τα εθνικά και πολιτικά της σύνορα όπως καθορίστηκαν από τις Συνθήκες, έγινε αληθινός στυλοβάτης της ειρήνης στην Εγγύς Ανατολή. Είμαστε εμείς οι Έλληνες που αιματηροί αγώνες αιώνων μας είχαν φέρει σε κατάσταση διαρκούς ανταγωνισμού με την Τουρκία οι πρώτοι που είχαμε την ευκαιρία να αισθανθούμε τις συνέπειες αυτής της βαθιάς αλλαγής στη χώρα αυτή, διάδοχο της παλιάς Οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας.
Από την επόμενη μέρα της Μικρασιατικής καταστροφής, διαβλέποντας την δυνατότητα συνεννόησης με την αναγεννημένη Τουρκία, που προέκυψε από τον πόλεμο ως εθνικό κράτος, της απλώσαμε το χέρι και το δέχτηκε με ειλικρίνεια. Από αυτήν την προσέγγιση, που μπορεί να χρησιμεύσει ως παράδειγμα για τη δυνατότητα συνεννόησης ακόμη και μεταξύ λαών που τους χώρισαν οι πιο σοβαρές διαφορές, όταν αυτοί διαποτιστούν με την ειλικρινή επιθυμία για ειρήνη, προέκυψαν μόνο καλά, τόσο για τις δύο ενδιαφερόμενες χώρες όσο και για τη διατήρηση της ειρήνης στην Εγγύς Ανατολή.
Ο άνθρωπος στον οποίο οφείλεται αυτή η πολύτιμη συμβολή στην ειρήνη δεν είναι άλλος από τον Πρόεδρο της Τουρκικής Δημοκρατίας Μουσταφά Κεμάλ Πασά. Έχω λοιπόν την τιμή ως αρχηγός της Ελληνικής Κυβέρνησης το 1930, όταν η υπογραφή του Ελληνοτουρκικού συμφώνου σηματοδότησε μια νέα εποχή στην πορεία της Εγγύς Ανατολής προς την ειρήνη, να υποβάλλω την υποψηφιότητα του Μουσταφά Κεμάλ Πασά για την διακεκριμένη τιμή του βραβείου Νόμπελ για την Ειρήνη.
Με βαθύτατη εκτίμηση
Ε. Κ. Βενιζέλος
Translation from French into Greek by Penny Pouliou
PEACE AT HOME - PEACE IN THE WORLD
MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK
___________________________________
___________________________________
*
Venizelos'la ilgili olarak şu da hatırlanmalı:
Yunanistan askeri yönetim başkanlığı 1910; Osmanlı İmparatorluğuna savaş açtı; Girit'i aldı; Sevr'den sonra Megali İdea'sını gerçekleştiremeyeceğini anlayınca, İngiltere'nin desteği ile Anadolu'yu istila etti.
"İzmir’e Yunan birliklerinin çıkmasına karar verilmesi, Yunan Başbakanı Venizelos’un, Paris Barış konferansı’na 30 Aralık 1918 tarihi ile verdiği ve başarı ile savunduğu isteklerinin bir sonucu idi. Venizelos’un tezine göre; Büyük Menderes, Küçük Menderes ve Gediz nehirleriyle, Bakırçayı’nı, Gönen Çayını ve Manyas Gölü’ne akan Koraçay’ın ve güneyde Akdeniz’e dökülen Dalaman Çayı’nın suladığı en verimli topraklar ve bunların deniz zenginlikleriyle dolu kıyıları Türkiye’den koparılacaktı. Venizelos’un muhtırasında yalnız Yunanistan’ın istekleri savunulmakla yetinilmiyordu. O, barıştan sonra Anadolu’da Türk Devleti’nin mümkün olduğu kadar küçük ve zayıf olması, bunun doğusunda büyük bir Ermenistan’ın kurulması için de Paris Barış Konferansı’nda kendi milli emellerine çalışan Ermeni heyetini destekliyordu (3)."
Erol KAYA
MİLLİ MÜCADELE DÖNEMİNDE HİLAL-İAHMER CEMİYETİ’NİN ANADOLU VE YUNANİSTAN’DAKİ TÜRK VE YUNAN ESİRLERİNE YAPTIĞI YARDIMLAR
(3) Türk İstiklal Harbi,C.I, Batı Cephesi,K.I, Ankara 1994,s.3-4.
Turkish Studies, International Periodical For the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic Volume 3/2 Winter 2008
Atatürk, işte bu Venizelos'u bile etkilemişti....
"Sahtekar" Nobel kuruluşunun bırakın "Nobel Barış Ödülü"nü vermeyi, adaylığını bile kabul etmemesini,
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk için bir Şeref sayarım.
SB
"Dishonest" Nobel foundations, leave aside to give the "Nobel Peace Prize", even accepting the nomination,
I count that as a Honor for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
"Sahtekar" Nobel kuruluşunun bırakın "Nobel Barış Ödülü"nü vermeyi, adaylığını bile kabul etmemesini,
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk için bir Şeref sayarım.
SB
"Dishonest" Nobel foundations, leave aside to give the "Nobel Peace Prize", even accepting the nomination,
I count that as a Honor for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
