Documentary of Turkish-Greek fraternity premieres in Istanbul

The gala premiere of a documentary titled "Barisi Tasiyan Vapur: Kurtulus" (The Vessel that Carries Peace: Kurtulus) was held on Sunday at Istanbul's Grand Cevahir Hotel. The film recounts the story of the Turkish vessel Kurtulus, which was used to provide aid from Turkey to Greece during World War II.

The gala was sponsored by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) and the Istanbul 2010 European Culture Capital Initiative Group, reported the Anatolia news agency. Egemen Bag?s, chairman of the group's board of advisors, said in a speech made at the gala that Turks, who also experienced great hardship during World War II, tried their best to help their Greek neighbors. "We [Turks and Greeks] are two nations that can extend a helping hand to each other in both good times and bad," he said.

ITO Chairman Murat Yalcintas, who also delivered a speech, said that Kurtulus has become a symbol of Turkish-Greek fraternity. "Ships may sink but friendships never do," he said, in reference to the vessel sinking during its fifth voyage.

The documentary, written, directed and produced by Erhan Cerrahoglu, was screened following the speeches. Afterwards Cerrahoglu said that a piece of Kurtulus recovered from the shipwreck near Marmara Island had been split into two pieces and converted into a pair of memorial plaques. Cerrahoglu presented one to Greek Ambassador George Yennimatas, to be taken to the Greek Naval Museum, and the other to National Security Council (MGK) Secretary-General Yigit Alpogan, to be given to the Turkish Naval Museum in Istanbul.

The documentary, produced in two years by a 25-man team from Demo Productions, also recounts the famine the Greeks suffered during 1941-42.

The film features interviews with witnesses and underwater footage of the shipwreck. It is narrated by actor Cetin Tekindor and the soundtrack was composed by Derya Koroglu of Yeni Turku.

A story of kindness

Yennimatas said he admired the documentary and that the story of Kurtulus was "a story of kindness and humanity."

Fener Greek Patriarch Bartolomeos, who was also in attendance, told reporters he was touched by the documentary and that he hoped the fellowship between the two nations would continue.

Source: Turkish Daily News