turkish-greek civic dialogue - AEGEE Europe

WHAT IF KATIA ANTONIADI
INTERVIEWS THE KAYAFEST PARTICIPANTS?
Dijan Albayrak
- Do you think that Turkish-Greek friendship will be a reality or just an
imagination?
- It’s already a reality. I couldn’t say that this festival will make a
dream come true. It’s a process that is on-going. This festival will be
a big step in this process. I‘ve been involved in this project because
I believe in it.
- Do you think that this dialogue programme will continue to bring
Greeks and Turks closer to each other?
- I think it will open up areas of cooperation. It will create more
friendships and personal contact among people. This will pave
the way for more and more projects and that will speed up all the
process of friendship. I do not think that friendship is the ultimate
goal here. I mean we cannot say that Greeks and Turks have to be
friends. I mean it’s like Greeks and Germans also have to be friends,
Turks and Dutchies also have to be friends. It’s not about that, it’s
all about forgetting that such a distinction exists and that should be
the ultimate goal. We should open up areas where we can get closer
to each other, just because we are human, we share very similar
culture and we simply enjoy being with each other.
- Do you have the wish that this festival will show the politicians the
way of how to do and how cooperate with each other, Greeks and
Turks?
- I think they already know what we are doing. I think this “realpolitics”
is completely different story. When we wrote this project,
we were thinking, “Ok, we organised many events, we discussed about
politics, about population exchange, Aegean matters etc. However,
the aim here is different; here we are talking about arts. If you are
experiencing or performing arts, then all the other things seem so
Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de L’Europe
superficial. And the only reality remains enjoying together. I think
that was the spirit that we needed not conferences, but something
else, something more. Something which gives us the feeling that we
are doing something together. We are really realizing some certain
ambitious goals. So I completely disregard as a true “real political
act”. Its more like a human act!
- Why do you think this festival is held in Kayaköy?
- For the first time I experienced that a project is taking place with
the local people fully participating. It evokes some emotions; it
evokes some memories of them. And in a very nice way, through
arts. It’s not like everyday that an International Project is happening
here, It’s not like everyday these villagers are watching concerts or
meeting new people - in particular Greek people whose ancestors
were living here. It’s a very special event for them. Therefore, I
think they will get different inspirations from that.
- What did you think when you first met a Greek person?
- Nothing special I don’t remember the moment, I don’t know. I’ve
been working on Greek-Turkish project for last 6 years. I don’t know
what I thought at the first sight, but I can say now that my best
friends there are few people who are Greek, that I can count now,
that I really miss such as Matina, Katherina, Aliki. I really would
love to have them here. The feeling I had when I first met a Greek
was nothing special, I was not that much different for many other
personalities from different nationalities. But I have to admit that it
has been much much easier to become real friends; that what makes
the difference.
Tatiana Myrkou -Dance Theatre Workshop leader
- Will all these dance courses make relations between Turks and Greeks
better?
- Yes, this is the only thing that we are sure about. Because at the
beginning, I didn’t know anything about details such as the Turks in
general, the festival, my co-leader, the workshop. And now, I’m in
a magic. I made friends with Turkish and Greek people that I didn’t
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