3-28-2004

To: Professor Alemdaroglu

Rector Istanbul University

Istanbul, Turkey

Dear Rector:

**********

I have seen part of your remarks, at Lutfi Kirdar International Congress and Exhibition Center,[Istanbul MTV 3-25-2004] and I am utterly astonished with your extremely inappropriate speech, as the Rector of Istanbul University, which is a full member of the European University Association. Those are the words of a Fanatic Islamic Fundamentalist. Sending a message to the Turkish Committee, conducting the Cyprus negotiations you said: "DO NOT GIVE UP ANY CYPRUS LAND. IF NECESSARY, WE CAN GIVE UP TO 100,000 MORE MARTYRS AND TAKE ALL OF CYPRUS AND GREECE." YOU ALSO SAID THAT YOU HAD WITNESSED YOUTH DEMONSTRATIONS, WHERE "CYPRUS IS OURS" WAS CHANTED, FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS."

YOU ALSO STATED,[VERY EXCITEDLY] :"I SAY TO THE COMMITTEE IN SWITZERLAND: WE HAVE 25,000 MARTYRS, WE COULD HAVE 45,000 MORE, 100,000 MORE AND TAKE CYPRUS AND GREECE."  THESE STATEMENTS ARE IRRESPONSIBLE, COMING FROM A UNIVERSITY RECTOR, WHO IS IN ADDITION A MEDICAL DOCTOR AND A PROFESSOR OF NEUROSURGERY. 

What University is this? I mean the Istanbul University? Professor Aremdaroglou, are you an inhabitant of planet Earth or of some other planet? Are you lost in space? I say "Shame On You." This is the talk that can be expected from an Islamic Fundamentalist in Afghanistan or its border areas with Pakistan or from an Islamic extremist in Indonesia or from Al Qaeda's Dr. Zawahiri.

IF YOU WERE THE RECTOR AT AN AMERICAN OR A EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY, YOU WOULD BE FIRED ON THE SPOT. HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT THE CASE, BECAUSE YOU LIVE IN TURKEY, WHICH IS ACTUALLY AN ARMY THAT PRETENDS TO BE A COUNTRY, AN AUTONOMOUS ARMY UNBEHOLDEN TO SOCIETY AND TO CIVILIAN INSTITUTIONS, WHICH USES KEMALISM TO LEGITIMIZE ITS DOMINANT INSTITUTIONAL POSITION.  I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF RETIRED GENERALS AMONG THOSE WHO APPLAUDED YOU, FOR YOUR FIREBRAND'S TALK. 

IN SUMMARY: THIS IS A GRAVE AND MONUMENTAL ERROR IN YOUR PART. YOUR INFLAMMATORY REMARKS ARE THE STAFF OF THE 16TH CENTURY AND NOT THE 21ST,  BECAUSE, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT  MARTYRS, YOU ARE PLAGIARIZING THE STANDARD VOCABULARY OF THE ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISTS. 

AS A FELLOW PROFESSOR, FROM A WORLD FAMOUS AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, I DO URGE YOU TO IMMEDIATELY, PUBLICLY AND OFFICIALLY, RETRACT YOUR BIZARRE REMARKS, WHICH ARE UNBECOMING TO A UNIVERSITY RECTOR AND A PROFESSOR OF NEUROSURGERY. I CAN PREDICT THAT A FAILURE TO RETRACT, WILL UNLEASH A CASCADE OF PROTESTS AGAINST YOU: TO TURKISH INSTITUTIONS, TO THE EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATIONS, THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF NEUROSURGICAL SOCIETIES, THE WORLD FEDERATION OF NEUROSURGEONS, THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OTHERS. A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES ALREADY KNOW ABOUT YOUR INCENDIARY COMMENTS.

FINALLY, I CAN ASSURE YOU, THAT THE TURKISH ARMY WILL NEVER, EVER, TAKE ALL OF CYPRUS. MOREOVER, IF YOU THINK THAT IT CAN TAKE GREECE AS WELL, YOUR ARE VERY BADLY MISTAKEN.YOU ARE DREAMING. THAT TAKEOVER WILL NEVER HAPPEN, AND I SAY THIS TO YOU: "IN ONE THOUSAND LANGUAGES.". Thank you.  

KEEP WELL, 

Michael C. Geokas, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D.

(Em) Professor of Medicine and Biological

Chemistry, University of California Davis

School of Medicine.

CC: Rector of the University of Athens

      Rector of the Technical University Athens

FAX: 001\925\946-1987 

E-Mail: geokas@msn.com