Brief Encounters on a plane

Turkish history has a turbulent and controversial past. As my grandfather was

preparing to land at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915,  on the 24th the Turks began the massacre of the Armenians.

 This atrocity is given no place in the Turkish history books, according to an Armenian traveller I happened to sit next to on my journey to Turkey. My last trip to Turkey made me aware of a highly guarded and military Turkey – gendarme, military police, miitary bases and conservative ideas. Meeting Kurdish and Armenian people provide a perspective in stark contrast to the one we get in the west of a tolerant Turkey.

My Armenian fellow traveller told me of the massacre that still Turks refuse to talk about. But the events of that time are clearly felt acutely by the few Armenians left, living abroard. Many who survived left Turkey. He told me about Armenian churches used as target practise by Turkish troops, of the Kurds working with the Turkish government in the massacre of the Armenians- he commented on the irony of the situation today where Kurdish people are now fighting for their independence- given their past of working with the Turks in their drive to prevent a multi -cultural Turkey.

He was born in Lindos, Rhodes - a historic and picturesque town north west of the city of Rodos.

He spoke in hushed tones somewhat like our Kurdish student spoke back in October 2011.  That fear still persists is astonishing.

 Interesting times ahead for Turkey- A beautiful place full of history and kind people we encounter every day- surely attitudes will change. Maybe an apology is needed for their past mistakes like other nations for a new chapter in their history to begin.