Talk:Salonika Committee

Note
A discussion of this article may be found at Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Turkey. Aramgar (talk) 03:58, 25 November 2008 (UTC)

Ottoman Bank
Two books have photographs of the Ottoman Bank, both of the same postcard from 1917: Yadigar-ı Selanik: Kartpostallarda Evvel Zaman, ed. Seyfettin Ünlü (Ankara: Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, 2006), p. 82. and Vasili Demetriades, Τοπογραφία της Θεσσαλονίκη κατά την Εποχή της Τουρκοκρατίας (Thessaloniki: Etaireia Makedonikon Spoudon, 1983), p. 174. Neither book has any information relevant to the 1903 bombing. I remember, however, reading somewhere in the 1990s that the building had been bombed and recall inspecting the façade several times for damage as I walked by. The building stands on Odhos Frangon ("Street of the Franks") near the Roman Catholic cathedral and a notoriously filthy hospital.

I will check at lest the Erickson citation this week, but will not upload an image until I can be reasonably assured that this article is more than an anti-Semetic coatrack. Aramgar (talk) 05:08, 24 November 2008 (UTC)


 * Excellent idea. One of our University libraries has a copy of Erickson's book, but it's not on my campus and I cannot get there easily. When you actually have Erickson in your hands, please look at what he has to say about "Saloniki Committee" in general - beyond the bombing. Perhaps you could even make a photocopy or scan the corresponding page(s). It may be relevant for forming a final opinion about this curious article. Best, --Zlerman (talk) 06:19, 24 November 2008 (UTC)


 * Of course. I had to recall both Erickson and the memoir. It may be a week or so. Aramgar (talk) 12:14, 24 November 2008 (UTC)


 * The Bulgarian nationalist Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization destroyed the bank in 1903; they have nothing to do with the Committee of Union and Progress. Sentence and citation removed. Aramgar (talk) 22:05, 24 November 2008 (UTC)

Conspiracy theories
The belief that the Committee of Union and Progress, probably the Salonika Committee of this article, was dominated by Jewish and Masonic elements seems to have its origin with or to have received its impetus from the delusions of one Sir Gerard Lowther, British ambassador to Constantinople in the first few years of the 20th century. The historian Elie Kedourie quotes letters by Lowther in which he refers to the CUP as the "Jew Committee of Union and Progress" and suggests that "this Albanian business has been created by a few Salonika Jews". Kedourie also discusses the longevity of this belief to which, I believe, we may add this article in its original form. (citation: ) signature added Aramgar (talk) 22:29, 24 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Wonderful. Don't you think that we can now blank the text of Salonika Committee and redirect the article to Committee of Union and Progress (with the necessary additions in the latter)? --Zlerman (talk) 03:14, 25 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Page redirected. I will look over Committee of Union and Progress, Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire), and Young Turks over the next weeks to see if they can be improved. Aramgar (talk) 03:58, 25 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Superb. A million thanks. --Zlerman (talk) 05:18, 25 November 2008 (UTC)