FUEN: Avrupa Halkları Federal Birliği

The Rhodes, Kos and the Dodacanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association aims to increase solidarity among Rhodes, Kos and the Dodecanese Turks and contribute to the solution of the problems of the Turkish community living in these islands. The organization aims to increase solidarity among Rhodes, Kos and the Dodecanese Turks who migrated to Turkey, make studies about the Turkish and Muslim identities of the Turks on Rhodes and Kos, and make an effort at protecting Ottoman architectural heritage in the islands, and to cooperate with NGOs in order to meet its goals.

In the last two years the Rhodes, Kos and the Dodacanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association attended academic conferences and symposiums in accordance with its goals. On 26-27 November 2013 the organisation attended and delivered an oral statement at the 6th Session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues and a presentation at the side event, which was co-organized with the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace. The Rhodes, Kos and the Dodacanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association is currently working on two projects: The first one is named “Property Problem” and deals with the property problems of the Turks who have migrated and do not live any more in Rhodes and Kos. The second project is “An Oral History Project on Recent History of Turkish Identity of Rhodes and Kos”. 

Turks of Rhodes, Kos and Dodacanese are descendants of the first settlers of the islands following the Ottoman conquest in 1573 and the Turks - migrants in 1897 from Crete island  at the time being a part of Karamansk beylik.   In 1912 Rhodes and Kos islands came under Italy’s governing control and the new authorities defined the Turks as a historic minority of the islands.   After 1947, the islands of Rhodes and Kos have been transferred to the patronage of Greece that has lead to ongoing problems of discrimination against the local Turkish population. The Greek state authorities openly pursue the policy of intolerant attitude and encourage a rejection of the Turkish cultural identity. Discrimination that the Turks face in employment and property purchase has become the main cause of migration of the Turkish historic minority from the islands to Turkey.To date, as a result of mass migration there are only small groups of 3000 Turks living in Rhodes and 2000 in Kos.