Renaming a Public Square

The following item appears at the English-language website Islam Versus Europe:

A council in the South of France has announced that it is planning to rename a square after Eyüp Sultan, a so-called companion of the so-called prophet. The con man prophet's companion, who has no obvious connection to France, died in the Muslim attack on Constantinople in 670. Currently the square is named after Pierre Loti (photo above), the 19th century French writer, who was passionately interested in things oriental.

The initiative seems to have come from the councillor Lionel Serik, a "French" person who recently discovered that he had Turkish roots:

Having a foreign surname, which has always aroused people’s curiosity, French journalist Serik is in pursuit of his roots, which he has traced back to Turkey. “I was always looking in the Yellow Pages when I was in Montreal, New York, Paris, Singapore, Riyadh and Dubai and could never find a Serik,” said Serik during a recent interview in İstanbul, where he was visiting as a guest of the İstanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency.

After investigating further, Serik discovered that his ancestors were from one of the nomadic communities in Turkey. “Seriks are Yörüks,” says Serik. “They are a nomadic people, which definitely suits me very well. I’ve been living all over the world. (…)

“I spent a week here in İstanbul, and then I went to Antalya last Friday,” says Serik. “I was honored and very warmly welcomed by Ahmet Ümit, the district governor of Serik. On Saturday we went to Serik. When we first arrived in Serik, I started to see the road signs, and it was pretty much like a child looking forward to opening his Christmas presents. It was like I was in Wonderland.”

The next day he was hosted by Mehmet Habalı, the mayor of Serik, and he was very impressed by the way he was treated, both by the authorities and the local people. “He was very nice to me, like everybody else was,” says Serik. “I had the most beautiful experience of my life; I cried on Sunday night.” A special celebration was organized in the town, and a lamb was sacrificed in honor of Serik. “To my biggest surprise, they sacrificed a lamb before my eyes, which I couldn’t watch,” he says, “and then we ate the poor lamb.” This whole experience strengthened Serik’s ties with Turkey, “I had my Turkish blood and now my heart is Turkish, too.”

So now France ceases to honour one of its great writers so this nobody can indulge his personal ancestor nostalgia, and will instead honour an Arab savage who died attacking the capital of Christendom?

The longer article from which the above passages come was posted at the Turkish site Today's Zaman in January of 2010. Here are a few more excerpts. The tale becomes complicated, and I hope you can follow it. Following his trip to the town of Serik he said:

“I’m going back [to France] 200 times more satisfied than I anticipated because all these people have made me feel at home, part of their family, like a brother,” says Serik after his experience in Antalya. “It has been so touching, so emotional for me, that I feel more Turkish than ever. These two days that I’ve spent in Serik were more rewarding for me than any document I was able to find.”

According to historical records, in the 18th or 19th century some people were sent from Serik to Algeria, either in exile or on official business or to fight against the French. “And that coincides with the fact that my great-grandfather Muhammed bin Ali was in Algeria and that my grandfather was born there. Then they moved to Belgium,” says Serik. However, the story becomes murky at that point. “I don’t know when or why,” he says. (…)


And so Serik (left), who is a municipal councilor from Saint-Pierre d'Oléron, the main city on the island of Oléron where he was born, is certainly predisposed to a certain prejudice against the French and in favor of the Turks. His ancestors in Algeria may have fought against the French. Moreover, he may find himself in opposition to the many Frenchmen opposed to Turkey's membership in the European Union.

His connection to Pierre Loti is complex. First, Loti was born in Rochefort, not far from Saint-Pierre d'Oléron. A passionate lover of Turkey, Loti had part of his house decorated like a mosque. But most importantly, he did not believe in the Armenian genocide. And at his request he was buried in Saint-Pierre d'Oléron. Hence, Serik grew up immersed in tales by and about Loti. The public square to be named after Eyüp Sultan is in Saint-Pierre d'Oléron. The decision to do this was apparently made in some back room, according Christophe Sueur, another city councilor, of an opposition right-wing party. The following report is from Sud Ouest:

After the announcement in March of a "special visit" by the Turkish delegation, Christophe Sueur, reacted: "I have learned that a delegation is going to inaugurate a new square and that even a statue will be erected there. Such an inauguration cannot, logically, be done without the council's knowledge and municipal deliberation. Now there has been no deliberation on this matter, not even during the last council meeting on May 19. It seems that the decision was made when Lionel Serik returned from Turkey. But Serik went to Turkey on behalf of the city of Rochefort, not Saint-Pierre d'Oléron.

And there is another problem: "By what right are they going to re-baptize Pierre-Loti Square that is next to the ground where Loti is buried? The name of Pierre Loti is much closer to the history and local traditions than that of Eyup Sultan, one of the prophet's companions, who was killed during the siege of Constantinople in 670." (…)

Below, Christophe Sueur beside the statue of Pierre Loti.


As far as I know, this is where it stands. Unless the councilors can stop it or the population rebels. As for Pierre Loti, friend of Turkey and indifferent to Armenians, here is one quote from a letter he wrote in December 1920 to the French Foreign Minister:

"As for the 'Armenian massacres', I feel I have said, with many testimonies and proof to back me up, just about all there is to say: reciprocal killing, insane exaggeration in the complaints of the Armenians who, for centuries, so basely cheated their neighbors the Turks, and who, indefatigable slanderers, never cease to use their title as Christians to instigate Western fanaticism against Turkey."

In another article, also from December 1920, Loti lashes out at the Greeks, but then speaks of "the thousands of lies of the Armenians":

"As far as these dear Armenian martyrs are concerned, I didn't know that during the war they had massacred two thirds of the non-Armenian population of cities occupied by the Russians, or 300,000 souls at least, according to the testimony of the men of the Caucuses. The poor Turks, had been, for a long time, crying out to Europe, asking that at least a committee of inquiry be sent to the region. But Europe had no intention to comply, once it accepted without question the stupid order from England - from Lloyd George especially - namely that anything from the Muslims, whoever they were, was not worth worrying about."

Not surprising, then, that Serik felt an affinity for Loti even before he knew he was of Turkish origin. Afterwards, all the more reason… But then, should he not honor Loti by leaving the square named after him? Or would Loti be glad to relinquish his own name, in favor of Eyup Sultan?

Note: I was not able to determine the political affiliation of Lionel Serik, but I assume he is a Socialist. The website of the city of Saint-Pierre d'Oléron lists the names of the city councilors, but not their party. I did find that Christophe Sueur, the councilor who opposes the renaming, belongs to the Diverse Right - a coalition of right-wing groups.

Thanks to the reader who sent this tip.