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Category: Greece

Turkey, Greece bridge cultural gap with romance

Romance and “clandestine relationships” between ordinary Greeks and Turks is again the vehicle for another big-budget Turkish romantic comedy. The theme is far from uncommon in real life.

By Menekse Tokyay and HK Tzanis for Southeast European Times in Istanbul and Athens — 21/05/12

”]“Iki Yaka Bir Ismail” (Two Shores, One Ismail), the new Turkish romance series — shot on location on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos (Mytilene) and in Aivali, across from the island in Turkey — was released earlier this month.

Playing on the theme of mixed marriage — this time between a Turkish fisherman and Greek island divorcee — it follows the wildly popular Turkish series “Yabanci Dama” (Foreign Groom), which debuted in 2004.

“For me, [mixed marriage] is no longer a taboo — I know of many Greeks now married to Turkish women, and quite a few Turkish men married to Greek wives. They live here in Mytilene, several in Aivali, in Larissa [in central Greece], everywhere,” according to actress Eleni Filini, one of the protagonists in the new series and a former beauty queen in the 1980s.

Take the real life couple of Aslihan Ozkara and Nikos Dimos, who met at a party a few years ago in Istanbul. In August 2008, the couple married in a surprise wedding held in the same Bosporus metropolis.

Ozkara told SETimes the fact that she and her husband hailed from different ethnic backgrounds meant nothing, as they are very similar as individuals.

Contrary to expectations, the marriage was well-received by their respective families.

“Probably because our families had lived abroad for a long time and were used to such mixed marriages, so it wasn’t perceived as something unusual,” she explained, adding that her husband’s family is also the product of a mixed marriage.

“So we, in a sense, continued a tradition. Nikos’ father was Greek and his mother Turkish. So, we didn’t see any weird reaction,” Ozkara said.

She added, however, that their marriage helped overcome certain latent and deeply rooted prejudices in their immediate social circles. “Through our marriage we tried to establish a bridge between these two cultures; to know each other and to understand each other in better ways,” she said.

Another successful “love story” from both sides of the Aegean is the Tsitselikis-Ozgunes family.

Meric Ozgunes and Constantinos Tsitselikis met at a Greek-Turkish civic dialogue workshop and currently live in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki.

“Our respective nationalities definitely did not lead us to have a negative perception [of each other]. We were already involved in Turkish-Greek issues and open to dialogue; and a lot more than our nationalities united us. We were, in any case, against nationalism and cherished multi-culturalism,” Ozgunes told SETimes.

The couple was married during an official wedding ceremony in 2005, conducted in both Turkish and Greek, in Thessaloniki. As the parents of young children, they have neither baptised the children in the Orthodox Christian faith or ceremoniously circumcised them, as per the Muslim ritual.

“We will leave this decision to their will,” Ozgunes explained.

Asked about reactions towards the marriage, Tsitselikis said both families were very respectful of their decision, with the only queries coming from acquaintances or neighbours, who asked about the ubiquitous issue of religion.

“We had to face questions regarding what religion our children would have, if we were to have any,” he said.

Tsitselikis and Ozgunes said they believe the impact of such marriages can only be measured on their immediate social and professional circles.

“It definitely allowed some people around us, such as relatives and neighbours, to come into contact with the ‘other’, to put flesh and bone to a ‘Turk’ or a ‘Greek’, and therefore, it helped break certain stereotypes,” Ozgunes explained.

Ayse Gunduz Hosgor, an expert on mixed marriages from the Ankara-based Middle East Technical University, underlined that mixed marriages are a contributing factor to integration for at least one of the two partners.

“When we discuss mixed marriages amongst different ethnicities, the level of education and professional sophistication are determinants in laying the groundwork for potential partners [of different cultures] to meet each other,” Hosgor told SETimes.

Nevertheless, she also pointed to the importance of religion when assessing the sustainability of such marriages.

Beyond the interest generated by real life mixed marriages, “Iki Yaka Bir Ismail” is already generating a tourism boon on Lesvos via a cascade of reservations by Turkish tourists, according to travel agency owner Aris Lazaris, who helped co-ordinate the series’ shooting on the large island, which the locals call Mytilene, after the name of the capital city.

“We went from hell in the off-season, due to the repercussions of the economic crisis and cancellations of reservations by foreign tour operators, to our phones ringing off the hooks,” the Mytilene entrepreneur said.

This content was commissioned for SETimes.com.

via Turkey, Greece bridge cultural gap with romance (SETimes.com).

May 22, 2012
Islam versus Europe: Hordes of Muslim Illegals Invading Greece from Turkey

Everything in this report is consistent with the view that Turkey is deliberately facilitating this illegal immigrant invasion to further the islamisation of Europe. The Turkish government has signed visa-free travel treaties with virtually every Islam-dominated country.

Illegal Muslim Immigrants Invading Greece from… von V1683

Then they use their inaction over these illegal immigrants as an extortion tool to get the EU to grant visa-free travel to Turks! And Europe’s leaders are so weak they give in to this!

There is a clear solution to this problem. Whenever the system picks up an illegal immigrant who has made his way into Europe from Turkey, an invoice should be created for the costs of housing and processing him. Interest should be added and the invoice should be continually updated as new costs arise. Until Turkey takes the immigrant back, the costs continue mounting. If the Turkish government refuses to pay, the EU should impose import duties on all imports from Turkey and recover the money in that way. Within a few years of introducing a system like this, I estimate that the problem of illegal immigration from Turkey (80% of all illegal immigration into the EU) would largely have been solved. The problem only exists because the Turkish government tacitly condones it. But Europe’s leaders are paralysed by their own psychological weakness.

via Islam versus Europe: Hordes of Muslim Illegals Invading Greece from Turkey.

May 16, 2012
Greek and Turkish Debate Over Origins of “Koulouri”/”Simit”

It all started when US President Barack Obama called the “baklava” dessert “Greek” in a ceremony which took place in the White House for the March 25th National Anniversary. His statement caused a mini cultural crisis between neighboring countries.

As a national “retaliation,” the İstanbul Simit Tradesmen Chamber launched a process to get an international patent for the number one Turkish street food, the “simit” as Turks call it, same as our “koulouri.”

İstanbul Simit Tradesmen Chamber Chairman Zeki Sami Özdemir on Tuesday, April 3, filed a petition with the İstanbul Union of Craftsmen and Artisans’ Chambers (İSTESOB) and called on the chamber to take action and the necessary steps to protect Turkey’s national food, the simit.

The petition came after US President Barack Obama said he admired the taste of “Greek baklava,” which has been regarded by the Turks and the Greeks as their traditional dessert for centuries. It is widely acknowledged that “baklava” has its origins in Central Asia. Nevertheless the Turkish ISTESOB had to respond to the “inappropriate” public mistake of Obama.

“We will hold on to our simit and won’t allow Greeks to grab our simit too,” İSTESOB Chairman Faik Yılmaz said, adding that Greeks have been presenting Turkish traditional foods as their own for centuries.

“The simit is one of the most widely consumed food products in Turkey. Foreigners now know it as the national food of Turks. It sometimes serves as breakfast and even lunch for both the rich and the poor,” added Zeki Sami Özdemir.

via Greek and Turkish Debate Over Origins of “Koulouri”/”Simit” | Greek Reporter Europe.

April 15, 2012
Evros: The Greek Borders are “Protected” by a Single… Model Fence

3,000 illegal immigrants crossed the Greek borders during the first two months of 2012 only from Northern Evros, when last year the same figure totaled 1,609 –therefore minus 50%. Despite the public announcements of Frontex regarding the construction of the so called Fence of Evros, the only thing someone can see marking the Greek borders right now is… a model of the fence.

“I used every possible means to leave Afghanistan to get to Istanbul. From Istanbul I walked for 250 kilometers till Adrianoupolis where I met my ‘middle-man’ who would carry me to Greece. I paid 1,200 Euros. He told me it was too easy to cross the Greek borders, as long as I stuck to his directions. He assured me that no one would hurt me after I’ve crossed the borders. I waited for hours in the dark with other immigrants and at some point they took us all and transferred us on foot to Greek soil” explains Hamint, an immigrant from Afghanistan to the Greek newspaper “Proto Thema”.

“My compatriots invited me here. They told me I will surely find a job in Greece, from the ones that the locals won’t do”, Hamint adds.

For an immigrant to cross Adrianoupolis to Orestiada there is a fixed “tariff” of 800 to 1,200 Euros. There are hundreds of spots on the Evros borders where immigrants can illegally cross to Greece. They immigrants arrive in hundreds either by land or by the river of Evros, even during days with harsh weather conditions when the river gets dangerous, explains the Police official of Orestiada to “Proto Thema”.

Many immigrants get drowned in the river and never make it to Greece. Eleven corpses have been withdrawn from the river only during the last week.

There have been seven arrests of Turkish traffickers since January. Many of them are usually armed and won’t hesitate to fire against police. Last year they injured a Greek police officer after shooting him four times.

55% of the immigrants that get arrested are Afghani and the rest of them come mostly from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, according to the Police archives of Orestiada.

The coveted fence is expected to be 10.3 kilometers long, but the river of Evros will still be the biggest crossing point of the illegal immigrants. One month ago, Christos Papoutsis (former Minister for Citizen Protection) inaugurated the 3.2 million Euro fence, but the Greek government hasn’t yet proceeded with the construction. However the Ministry has left a… model fence to “guard” the Greek borders.

(Source: Proto Thema, Anastasia Karapatsia)

via Evros: The Greek Borders are “Protected” by a Single… Model Fence | Greece.GreekReporter.com Latest News from Greece.

March 18, 2012
EU: Numbers of illegal migrants crossing into Greece from Turkey falls sharply

By Associated Press, Published: March 8

BRUSSELS — The number of illegal migrants crossing into Greece from Turkey has fallen sharply since September, authorities said Thursday, a dip that coincides with improved border controls.

European Union officials said the Frontex agency reported that the number of migrants crossing the EU’s most porous land border had decreased from 2,000 to just 500 a week. The report was delivered at a meeting of the bloc’s 27 Home Affairs ministers in Brussels.

“The report shows that the overall situation remains worrying,” EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told reporters after the meeting. “There is progress, but there remains a lot of work to be done.”

Frontex helps coordinate the work of national border authorities and provides expert assistance. It was deployed to the Greek-Turkish border in the second half of last year. Greece also has established an asylum authority which will operate a number of camps in order to better manage the flows.

On Wednesday, ministers from seven northern EU nations — Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and Britain — called for an action plan to stem the tide of illegal migration into the union. They also urged better cooperation with non-member Turkey on security and migration issues and better management by Turkey of its own borders.

Passport-free travel in the so-called “Schengen zone” is considered one of the European Union’s signal achievements, easing the lives of ordinary citizens. But what applies to EU citizens also applies to illegal migrants — once they enter the Schengen zone, they can travel to any of its countries without showing passports or any other documents.

“Europe’s external borders must be effectively and consistently managed, on the basis of the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility, mutual trust and increased practical cooperation,” said the conclusions adopted after Thursday’s ministerial meeting.

The European Union’s executive commission is due to submit in May a report on the functioning of the Schengen system, which covers all EU states except Britain and Ireland.

Last month, Greece announced that it will build a 6-mile- (10-kilometer) long, 13-foot- (4-meter) tall fence topped with razor wire on its border with Turkey to deter illegal immigrants.

Most of Greece’s 125-mile (200 kilometer) border with Turkey runs along a river known as Evros in Greece and Meric in Turkey. The new fence, which Turkey’s government has not opposed, will block a short stretch of dry land between the two countries.

The border is the main venue for illegal crossings into the European Union. Thousands of illegal immigrants cross from Turkey into Greece at this point each year, often traveling from there to other parts of Europe.

Since Greece is on the southeastern edge of the Schengen area, and Turkey has not signed the Schengen Agreement, Greece is required to maintain control of the border with the assistance of Frontex.

via EU: Numbers of illegal migrants crossing into Greece from Turkey falls sharply – The Washington Post.

March 10, 2012
Greek ‘wall’ is negative symbol, Turkey says

By Andrew Rettman

BRUSSELS – Turkey’s EU affairs minister has described the Greek anti-migrant fence as a symbol of division between the Union and outside countries.

Alluding to the Berlin wall, which used to separate western Europe from the Soviet bloc, Egemen Bagis told EUobserver on Wednesday (8 February): “It is not the time to talk about new walls in Europe – we need to talk about new bridges. Europe paid the cost of walls in the recent past and … everyone should work to build new bridges between different views, different cultures and different countries [instead].”

He added that “Turkey is a bridge between east and west” and that the Islamic country’s EU membership would “symbolise an alliance of civilizations.”

Greece this week began construction of a razor-wire barrier on its 13-km-long land border with Turkey.

The fence is designed to deter the thousands of people from Asia and north Africa who come each month to seek asylum in the Union.

The European Commission has described it as “pointless.” A Brussels-based NGO, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, said it would be a “tragedy” if it keeps out people fleeing conflicts in Afghanistan and Syria.

The Turkish minister’s remarks come in the context of prickly EU-Turkey relations – accession talks stopped over a year ago and the EU refuses to start negotiations on visa-free travel.

“The citizens of Belize, Paraguay, the 190 million citizens of Brazil, or the citizens of Malaysia – with all due respect to them – can travel to the [EU passport-free] Schengen zone without a visa, but my citizens have to wait in line … it is not correct,” he noted.

The EU says it will start visa talks only if Turkey signs a pact on taking back illegal migrants.

Bagis said the visa talks must come first: “Turkey is ready to initial the readmission agreement if the EU Council authorises the commission to launch visa facilitation talks leading to visa liberalisation.”

Greece is one of the main opponents of Turkey’s EU entry due to its occupation of northern Cyprus.

Bagis described Greece and Turkey as being “very close friends.” But he highlighted that Turkey is enjoying an economic boom even as Greece faces ruin.

“I was in Athens for a short holiday last month and I saw that Greece needs the active support of its friends as it struggles with the impact of the financial crisis. Turkey is among those countries that can help,” he noted.

via EUobserver.com / Enlargement / Greek ‘wall’ is negative symbol, Turkey says.

February 10, 2012