turkish-greek civic dialogue - AEGEE Europe

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know for ages. I trust them. We will try to make something with
our bodies. And that’s what I’m going to see tomorrow. Many people
in the workshop are trying for one reason. For their happiness and
being together as one team.
- You are the leader of the dance theatre group. Do you think that the
Greeks and Turks that you have on your own group cooperated well
with each other?
- Yes. Excellent! I couldn’t imagine this. It’s really difficult to work
body to body, to touch each other. At this workshop we are all
together like magic! I don’t know...Because they didn’t say why you
are touching me, we all have to be ready for the workshop at 10 and
at 9 in the morning we have to wake up...There was no complaint
about anything. And we want to dance! So It’s amazing!!
- Did you like the village where the whole festival is being held?
- It’s really beautiful! I would like to see it with people in it to walk
and say hello to the people but It’s empty.
- What do you think about the festival about the things that you
learned, about the villagers here, about Kayaköy...?
- I met many new people and it’s like being in Greece. There is no
difference. They say hello friendly. In the first day; I woke up to go
my workshop at 9 o’clock. I was walking and there was a guy in the
house, an old man who talked to me in Turkish. And he asked me to
eat something first. And told him “no, no , no… I’m ok.” And then
I asked him if he is speaking in English. He told me no. And he told
me that he speaks French and we talked in French. And suddenly
I said; “Au revoir” and I left...And he run behind me with slice of
water melon and she said “mademoiselle...! Please, take this water
melon” I was so touched because; it’s like I want to share with you
my food. It’s great because he’s poor I think. I have seen so many
films about Kayaköy. It’s also very good to see Turkish folk dances like
Zeybek. It’s really amazing because I can see something different
but It’s the same as Greece. We have the same dances, we have the
same food, we say the same words with a letter. They say “pilav”,
we say “pilavi”. I don’t like the things like this: they don’t come
more often to Turkey...
Participants
- Do you think that this festival with its entire program will help the
relationship between Turkey and Greece?
- I think so. You know what, yesterday nearly 70 people gathered
around here with guitars and there was a huge camp-fire in the
middle. They were singing, dancing, playing guitars. I think this was
the real relation between Turkish and Greek people and it was really
great to see them all together!
MAGIC MOUNTAINS
................................................................................................................ Eleni Trigatzi
19 September 2004, Athens
I don’t know the exact moment when Sophia’s
passion for Turkey was born. She studied
musicology and she got to know the traditional
Greek music, which was quite similar to Turkish
music. She even started studying the Turkish
language.
“Turkish???” said I. “Whatever for?”
What did we have in common with the Turks
anyway?...
That’s when Sophia got involved with AEGEE, a
volunteering organisation that brought together
young people from all over Europe. Sophia
started traveling until she visited Istanbul, the
well-known Constantinople. She loved the city,
she loved the people, she loved the dervishes.
She then started talking to me about a festival that would enhance the Turkish-
Greek friendship and it would take place in a small village opposite Rhodes,
Kayaköy. For my part, I wasn’t curious about it at all. I didn’t know what I
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