Lundy Island Residents Association demand apology and reparations from Turkey
Residents say they still feel the ‘ancestoral residue’ after the Bristol Channel island was occupied by pirates from the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century
Reporting by historical guilt correspondent Buzz Fëed
The Lundy Island Residents Association (LIRA) have contacted the Turkish embassy in London to request an official apology from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The association are also demanding £392,000 (2,974,909 Turkish Lira) of reparations representing £1000 for every year since pirates first occupied the island.
The pirates — known as the Salé Rovers and led by Dutchman Jan Janszoon — raised an Ottoman flag over the island and used it as a base to trade European slaves to Algiers.
LIRA leader Crendon Dunderly represents the interests of the island’s 28 residents and says that although there has been progress in Turkey-Lundy relationships since the occupation ended in 1632, there’s “considerable browbeating” needed before Lundyites can move on from their collective persecutions.
Studies by the Lundy Institute for Fiscal Fairness (LIFF) show that island residents are earning on average 53% less than their mainland counterparts and 17% less than native Turks.
Dunderly said: “It was after we saw Muslims asking for apologies about stuff that happened in the Crusades and people advocating for black Americans to get reparations for slavery that we realised the Ottoman occupation 392 years ago was actually to blame for all of our issues.
“Yes we don’t work as hard as other people and yes we pretty much make everything we need to eat, drink and live meaning we barely have any outgoings — but why does that mean we have to earn less than mainland Turks?”
The International Council for Arbitrary Historical Guilt (ICAHG) has welcomed the call from LIRA, stating that it is one more step towards the future of “mutual self-flagellation” they are so committed to creating.
The situation was made complicated, however, when representatives of Salé Rovers veterans demanded a counter apology from LIRA when they claimed that they had been subjected to anti-pirate discrimination from Lundy supporters on Twitter.
We are currently waiting for The Guardian, Buzzfeed and BBC to write their smear pieces before we decide who is more of a victim in this situation.
President Erdogan was unable to comment, stating he was too busy with implementing a light dictatorship and his work with supporting campaigns for a second Brexit referendum.
