Greek press headlines Turkey's textbooks: They react to 'Blue Homeland'

12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

Kathimerini, one of the most followed newspapers in the Greek press, reported on the inclusion of the 'Blue Homeland' in Turkish textbooks and leveled criticisms. While criticizing Turkey's foreign policy stance, the Greek newspaper specifically draws attention to the 'Blue Homeland' topic found in 9th-grade textbooks.

Although Kathimerini avoids making a direct criticism in its own voice, the expressions used in the textbooks are portrayed in the report as 'highly problematic' or 'incorrect'.

Kathimerini focuses particularly on the way the 'Blue Homeland' is presented. The following statement is included in the newspaper's report:

'...There is even a Blue Homeland heading on page 62 of the 9th-grade Geography textbook, so that this doctrine can begin to be taught to the country's students.'

The report continues by writing, ''The book makes a vague reference by saying, 'Turkey's surface area reaches 780,000 square kilometers (that is, the current surface area of the Republic of Turkey)'.'' It is noteworthy that the newspaper describes Turkey's clear surface area as a 'vague reference'.

In the paragraph containing this statement, Kathimerini includes the phrase used in the textbooks, 'The areas under the sovereignty of Turkey remaining within the Misak-ı Milli (National Pact) borders are the parts of the Blue Homeland, which is the homeland in the seas,' and writes, 'The 1920 Misak-ı Milli, which is still voiced by Turkish nationalists today, stated that Turkey's 'legal borders' covered regions such as Western Thrace, the Dodecanese, and Northern Iraq.'

Furthermore, the newspaper highlights the suggestion under the Blue Homeland topic that teachers and students be given examples of Turkey's struggle against unfair claims that ignore its legal and geographical interests in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.

In the remainder of the report, Kathimerini states that the textbooks refuse to use the term 'Sea of Islands' and instead use 'Aegean Sea'.

Additionally, at the end of its report, the Greek newspaper writes, 'On the same page, domestically produced drones like ANKA, Turkey's training aircraft like Hürkuş, and many other systems are introduced. It is surprising that the Bayraktar TB-2 and TB-3 unmanned aerial vehicles, produced by the company controlled by the President's son-in-law Selçuk Bayraktar, are not on this list.'

News Source: 12punto