Жители Трабзона "оскорбились" крестом

[Sari Galin]

A hard cross to bear in Trabzon

An allegedly cross-shaped configuration of a shopping center in the Black Sea province of Trabzon has disturbed the city's residents, leading the shopping center to alter the building's construction. Trabzon residents are particularly sensitive at the moment because their city is remembered for a series of events against Christians, including the murders of a priest and prominent journalist, according to city residents.

ŞAFAK TİMUR

ISTANBUL – Turkish Daily News

Turkey's Black Sea city of Trabzon has found itself cross with… well, a cross. And the outrage in the community over a shopping center configuration that looks like a Christian cross from the air has resulted in reconstruction to make the shopping center look… well, more religion-neutral.

I guess Trabzon overreacted a little bit, said Levent Eyüboğlu, the chief executive officer of the Multi Turkmall firm that built the Forum Trabzon shopping center. There was local sensitivity about it and we made a gesture to avoid any polemic, Eyüboğlu told the Turkish Daily News.

Trabzon has made headlines frequently in the past two years for gruesome events that include the murder of priest Andrea Santoro in 2006. The confessed murderer of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink last year also hailed from Trabzon and the ongoing court case has revealed that the crime was planned in Trabzon. In another case, a mosque named after a Christian some 30 years ago was renamed with a new moniker earlier this year by the local mayor.

The strong sentiments in Trabzon seem to remain unabated. The Forum Trabzon shopping center was opened last month with a ceremony in which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated. The architecture of the building was inspired by the sea and the shopping center is on the coast as well. However, the light house, which is part of the structure, caused reactions since it looks like a cross because of two vertical balconies circling it. The lighthouse had a beautiful view and the balconies were added later for visitors to enjoy it, said Eyüboğlu. People misunderstood it,he said.

However, not everyone shares Eyüboğlu's views.

This was done consciously, said Halil İbrahim Kalfaoğlu, the head of Trabzon Chamber of Craftsmen and Artisans. People are sensitive about this issue, he said, adding that the firm should have known about these sensitivities. I do not know their aim. I just want everyone to leave Trabzon alone. Leave us to ourselves, Kalfaoğlu said.

Sensitive Trabzon

Trabzon is very sensitive about nationalism and religion, said Erhan Esaspehlivan, the news coordinator at the local Karadeniz newspaper, which first brought the issue of the cross shape to the agenda. People will react against anything that humiliates their religion, Esaspehlivan said. Islam is a noble religion and it will not be humiliated by such little things. But if you will come and set up a cross in the middle of the city, I will not overlook it, he said. Esaspehlivan also highlighted that Trabzon residents have respect for other religions on a certain level but the public has to react when an effort is made to spread other religions.

Gürsel Çolakoğlu, a columnist for Karadeniz newspaper and a professor at Karadeniz Technical University, on the other hand, believes that the issue has been blown out of proportion. Trabzon people are so sensitive currently because of the latest events, he said, alluding to the murders of Santoro and Dink.

The city of Greeks?

The existing sensitivity to the shopping center goes further back. In a promotion brochure for the center, the name of the city, Trabzon was written vertically on the letter "R" in the middle of the word Forum. In Turkish, rum is the term used to denote Greeks. This design of the brochure led to reactions as well, as some people said that the brochure implies that Trabzon is a city of Greeks.

Pontic Greeks were inhabitants of Trabzon in the past and this is one of the reasons why the people are sensitive about the issue, said the city's mayor, Mehmet Volkan Canalioğlu.

Trabzon needs the investment

Although the city is cross with the cross, many people think that the city needs an investment like Forum Trabzon shopping center. Canalioğlu said with the shopping center the city gained a new vision. Çolakoğlu said the city needed the center.

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