Mauritius capital hosts exhibition on Ottoman, Türkiye-Mauritius relations

By Fauk Tokat, Busranur Koca and Dilara Hamit

The Friends of Türkiye Association, based in the capital of Mauritius, organized an exhibition, titled The Effendis of the Indian Ocean, focusing on Ottoman, Türkiye-Mauritius relations.

The exhibition was attended by Vice-Prime Minister of Mauritius Mohammad Anwar Husnoo, former Vice President Abdool Raouf Bundhun, Türkiye's Ambassador to Madagascar and accredited representative to Mauritius Ishak Ebrar Cubukcu, Mauritius’ Honorary Consul to Türkiye and Founding Honorary President of the Friends of Türkiye Association Ahmet Kemal Oncu, Egypt's Ambassador to Port Louis Abir Alam Eldin, Turkish Airlines’ Mauritius Director Ahmet Tursun, academics, and NGO representatives.

Also present were the descendants of Mauritian families who, through aid campaigns, sent help to the Ottomans during difficult times, such as the 1911-12 Italo-Turkish War, the 1912-13 Balkan Wars, the 1919 Turkish War of Independence, and the 1939 Erzincan earthquake.

At the opening of the program, Abdool Saboor Mahomed Saleh, the president of the Friends of Türkiye Association, stated that the exhibition was organized with the support of Ahmet Kemal Oncu and his wife, Gulbahar Oncu.

He said: "Thanks to the personal efforts of the Oncu family, this exhibition allows us to go back in time exactly 111 years and learn about the story of Mauritians who had very strong ties with Ottoman Türkiye in 1913. Many of you present here today are the descendants of those brave men and women who sold their possessions and sacrificed their money to join Türkiye's struggle for freedom and independence."

For his part, Mohammad Anwar Husnoo expressed his honor and pleasure in attending the opening of the exhibition. He commended Ahmet Kemal Oncu and his wife Gulbahar for their initiative, noting Ahmet Kemal's longstanding efforts, including bringing a Turkish television crew to produce a documentary about Mauritius.

Husnoo highlighted the extensive research undertaken to uncover historical relations between the Ottoman Empire and Mauritius, stating that these past memories will serve as a strong foundation for future bilateral relations.

Ahmet Kemal Oncu stressed that he spent seven years researching Türkiye-Mauritius relations, uncovering significant historical information.

He honored Mauritian heroes who donated to the Ottomans during crises and expressed Turkish gratitude for their ancestors' sacrifices.

Oncu decided to visit Mauritius after reading an article about local Muslims needing help. Despite initial concerns, he found a thriving and influential Muslim community. His growing interest in Mauritius led him to discover the deep historical ties between the island and the Ottoman Empire, dating back to the early 1800s.

Oncu explained that the decision of the Muslims in Mauritius to open a second mosque in 1850 initiated the process of establishing contact with the Ottomans.

"The island's people decided to build a large mosque. They conveyed this request to the British governor. The governor said 'You can't open a mosque at your discretion; you need to bring us a letter from your caliph.' In other words, they needed to get permission from Istanbul. The association members prepared a petition and sent it to the caliph of the time, Abdulmejid. Abdulmejid granted permission for the mosque to be opened and appointed someone from there to the mosque. From then on, sermons on the island began to be delivered in the name of Abdulmejid and Abdulhamid II. On holidays and religious nights, they always hoisted the Turkish flag," he said.

Speaking at the program, Türkiye's Ambassador to Madagascar Ishak Ebrar Cubukcu said: "Although our diplomatic relations with Mauritius were established in 1976, 48 years ago, our cultural relations date back to the 19th century. Indeed, this exhibition is a true reflection of our friendship depicted by photographs and historical documents."

"I shall confess that our relations with Mauritius excel in many areas. The opening of our Embassy in Antananarivo in April 2010, which is also accredited to Mauritius and the Comores, contributes to the development of our bilateral relations. Especially our commercial ties are growing further, thanks to the Free Trade Agreement, the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation, and the Agreement on the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments that we signed years ago. We also expect to sign the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Fisheries, the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism, and the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement in the near future," he said.

Cubukcu highlighted the significant increase in trade volume between the two countries, reaching $89 million in 2023, and expressed belief in the potential for further collaboration and learning opportunities.

He also noted the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye on Feb. 6, 2023, which resulted in significant loss of life and infrastructure damage. Despite ongoing challenges, Türkiye demonstrated resilience and national solidarity, particularly in housing construction efforts for the earthquake victims. He extended gratitude to the Mauritian government, its people, and the Friends of Turkey for their support and contributions to earthquake recovery efforts.

Cubukcu said that Turkish Airlines’ positive impact also reaches out to Madagascar via Mauritius with two frequencies per week plus one cargo, and soon to be three as of July 2024.

"Thanks to Turkish Airlines, our volume trade with Madagascar literally doubled to $203 million in 2023. In this regard, we expect Turkish Airlines to increase the momentum it generated in our relations with Madagascar with more and direct frequencies just like it did in the example of Mauritius. The personal efforts of our Regional Manager Mr. Ahmet Tursun and his dynamic team made all this possible. Heartfelt thanks," he added.