Turkish Islamic soft power strategies

Flag of Turkey. (credit: Wikipedia)

By Ioannis Michaletos
rimse

The Turkish foreign policy, as it has been dictated over the past few years, relies heavily in the so-called “Islamic soft-power” strategies that aim to push forward foreign policy interests via the use of Islam-based virtues of charity work and the Islamic ethics in general.

This approach has accelerated since 2007 when AKP political party in Turkey managed to establish firmly itself within the state by winning overwhelmingly its second general elections and since then it has effectively been able to disband numerous Kemalist networks of political and state influence. In terms of foreign policy, AKP places great importance into projecting Turkish interests abroad and especially in the regions of the Balkans, Middle East and Africa through the use of state-sponsored NGO’s, charity foundations and religious organizations.

For example, the original goal behind The Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (UNIW) organization was to perform a new kind of soft-power based foreign policy by the Erdogan’s Administration that aims to enchase Turkey’s role in the globe, by boosting Turkey’s profile as a major Sunni country. In short it plays the card of Sunni Islam, but in contrast to Saudi Arabia in a more moderate fashion, so as to be able to be accepted more easily by the “West” (NATO, EU). In a second level this particular NGO, acts as a hub and forum for the creation of interpersonal relations between a diverse crowd of figures that are involved in politics, business, charity and arts. Thus Turkish diplomacy, as directed by the pro-Erdogan elements- finds itself of new avenues to expand the diplomatic support this country may need for its state purposes. In simple terms, the Turkish foreign policy can “muscle” more supporters for Turkish aims and at the same time being able to grasp in a broader sense the tunes of societal changes in the contemporary globalized world. By having a reach in local societies as far as Seychelles, Indonesia and other countries, Ankara acquires a “global outlook”. In the case of the Balkans this particular organization has considerable reach in Kosovo, FYROM and Albania.

Continuing, there are many advantages of such strategies that blend Islam with foreign policy goals for Turkey. First of all the building of a “good name” abroad is an expensive process that takes years to be achieved, but once it happens, it provides the country with advantages in issues such as the direction of developmental aid, peace-keeping operations and of course a greater diplomatic clout in the United Nations. The case of Norway is illustrative. A small country of 4.5 million people has managed since the early 70′s to establish a good name for itself in regions such as Africa and South East Asia by providing financing, humanitarian aid and know-how. Thus Oslo has managed to have a reliable international voice and garner diplomatic and political support in international forums, disproportional to its small size as a state. In case of Turkey, a 70 million people country, that connects the Middle East with Southeastern Europe and with obvious ambitions of becoming a regional power; the policy benefits of charity work can be tremendous and as far as the business opportunities are concerned, quite substantial.

However, it should be noted that this use of a “soft-power approach” is not unique in international affairs, and actually it has been a well-established tool for diplomatic services for decades now. There are different sets of powers using soft power approaches. First we have the former colonial powers such as France and UK and to a lesser extent Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. The aims of these countries stem from their bonds with their former colonies, their commercial interest and their will to have a global voice by cultivating linguistic and political ties with these countries.

Then we have the Scandinavian group (Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark) that are interested traditionally in keeping up a stern image of peace-loving nations and supporters of economic development. Scandinavian countries, due to their highly industrialized and technologically advanced societies, who happen to be small in numbers and in the periphery of the Northern Hemisphere, the main manner under which they can have a political impact is by providing charities to the so-called “Third world”. Also these societies have always yearned to be heard globally due to their historical isolation.

Another category is the countries of Germany and Japan. Due to the WW2 effects and the peculiar state of affairs since, their aim has been traditionally to escape from the past and emerge as nations aiming for global security and peace, through charity work amongst other. USA, Russia and China, is another group that performs charities mostly for the sake of political interests, since they all have global ambitions and are keen and cynic players in the world stage.

Lastly we have the category where Turkey is located along with Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Iran, Gulf States, Brazil, India, and Indonesia. These are all emerging market countries with ambitions of acquiring a regional role or a wider global role based mostly on the religious factor, in the case of Turkey, Sunni Islam of the so-called moderate fashion, along with the “Neo -Ottoman” tendency which is frequently being exported as a role model in the Balkan region.

Somalia is the African country where Turkey seems to have the most high-profile role nowadays. Aside from establishing several aid centers, schools, mosques and other facilities in the country, Turkey has given full scholarships to more than 1,000 Somali students to study at Turkish high schools and universities. There have been quite a few developments in Africa in general since 2007, with Turkish delegations having visited and participated in conference, forums and events in almost all Sub-Saharan African states. Nevertheless, the ambitions of Turkey in that Continent are counterbalanced by the ambitions of global players such as USA, China or the well-established presence of former European colonial powers. Somalia is a country devastated by wars, famines and dissolution of the social fabric, therefore the direction of the Turkish foreign policy it seems was to take advantage of the dire straits the Somalia society is in, so as to be able to gain a “soft-power” base rather easily. Estimations point out those similar moves by Turkey to Africa will be directed in the coming period in Sudan, Angola and Nigeria.

Turkey in Africa a rather new presence in the region and the most important countries involved in similar charity or business projects, have a achieved a long-lasting presence by either investing heavily, as is the case of China, or have committed substantial security guarantees, as is the case with USA which has a military Command for Africa (AFRICOM), that is actually very much involved in “Soft-Power” projects. The interesting fact around Turkey is the pace of activity its diplomatic efforts have been for Africa under Erdogan’s Administration, especially after his second electoral victory in 2007. Before that little attention was paid to Africa by Turkey.

It is assumed that Turkey will continue to pay attention to Somalia in particular, due to the piracy issue, since it offers diplomatic capabilities for Turkey to be involved in international culminations in such an important global security issue.

Almost all countries with either global ambitions of some sort (Political, economic), are all involved in establishing their soft power infrastructure into Africa. In the case of China for instance, this has resulted in bringing Africa closer to Beijing in diplomatic terms and has provided ample business opportunities for both sides. In the case of USA, it has resulted in a virtual political control of a significant area of Africa. In the case of European countries and the EU as a supranational organization, soft power has achieved the notion that Europe is a world mediator and a good-will actor, something that often translates into fruitful corporate and commercial arrangements and occasional diplomatic support in the UN, IMF and World Bank through the votes of the African countries.

In other regions the situation is similar, although fluctuations occur. In Latin America China is creating soft power webs of influence in Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru and increasingly Argentina that result often to business deals. In Southeastern Europe, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states have invested billions of Dollars into boosting the presence of Wahhabis, with negative results for the local societies, including terrorism incidents. In June 2012 a lecturer in the Police Academy of FYROM relayed to the local press that Al Qaeda-like training camps exist in his country and further attacks against Christians should be expected.

In Central Asia, Turkey tried in the 90′s especially to reach out to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, with no success due to the opposition by Russia and by the local elites that viewed any external influence as a danger for their survival. Attempts were intensified in these countries also after 2007, but the local governments reacted fiercely by confiscating assets of Turkish NGO’s and companies or prosecuting Turkish citizens involved.

Soft-power strategies in order to be successful needs a lot of available capital, a sophisticated state and non-state mechanism, political will, strategic global outlook, intercultural knowledge and sensitivity by the actors involved and integration of it, to the long-term visions that the prospective country has in mind. Moreover they need a solid cultural and historical base upon which they can reflect to other cultures. Thus, the tendency to use Ottoman Empire as a historical example by the modern Turkish state since it is viewed as the pinnaculum of cultural achievement by Ankara that could be exported as a “cultural best-practice” abroad.

In overall “Soft power, is not just a show of good-will but rather a carefully planned path that leads to the increase of the diplomatic capability of the country in question. Therefore the states that are able to amass all these qualities and abilities, are the ones that eventually are going to see their soft power approaches bear fruits and remain as such for the long-term.

The question that arises is what may happen if all these actors step up from their soft-power antagonism into a harder approach? History has showed that Africa and other regions will pay the price in terms of social unrest, conflicts and destabilization as each actor will try to advance it interests as it is vying for influence and power. The difference between soft and hard power it’s in the means. The ends are the same and it is the acquisition of power, control and wealth. Of course this a cynic read of international relations, and as in ever social subject, it is only of subjective nature.

Turkish Soft Power in Albania

• - On mid-May 2012 the infamous Turkish Islamic NGO “Humanitarian Relief Foundation” (Turkish name: Insan Hak ve Hurriyetleri ve Insani Yardım Vakfı) organized a mass circumcision ceremony in Tirana-Albania for 500 local children. The organization was held with the assistance of the Municipality of Istanbul which is completely under the control of the AKP party. It was a first time since the 1930′s that such a ceremony was performed in Albania and was covered by Turkish media, although the Albanian ones kept a low profile on it. A delegation of Turkish Muftis and Islamic theologists travelled from Istanbul to attend and more than 3,000 locals viewed the ceremony and participated in the afterwards feast.
• - The same period in Tirana an international conference on Sufism in the Balkans was organized by the department of Islamic theology of the Turkish “Konya Necmettin Erbakan University”. A delegation also from Istanbul theologists participated and Albanian Sufi representatives attended and expressed their views on how to enlarge this religious Islamic sect in the Balkan region.
• - In early May the President of the Albanian Parliament Mrs. Topali during a visit of her Turkish counterpart Cemil Cicek in Tirana expressed her view that the Turkish nation “Has a lot of Albanian blood” and that “Turkey is a more than just a strategic ally to Albania and is a brotherly nation”. Cicek spoke along similar lines by hailing the “Turkish-Albanian brotherhood”.
• - During the visit of Cicek who has accompanied by a delegation of Turkish Members of Parliament, a special trip was organized in the city of Shkondra, where tribute was paid to the monument of Hasan Riza Pasha (1871 – 1913) who was a general in the Ottoman Army. He was the son of Namik Pasha, Vali of Baghdad, and he was born in Baghdad. He was one of the commanders during the Siege of Scutari. He was shot dead by Osman Bali and Mehmet Kavaja, two Albanians who were servants of Essad Pasha. In parallel Cicek visited the Turkish cultural center “Junis Emre” that was established there in early 2012.
• - This center is part of a wider “Soft-power” cultural centers network being established over the past few years by Turkey in several countries such as Albania, Iran, Jordan, Belgium, Georgia, UK, Japan, Kazakhstan, Cyprus (Occupied North), Kosovo, Lebanon, FYROM, Egypt, Romania, Syria. It is under the influence of the AKP government and can be considered as one of the basic elements of the “Turkish-Islamic soft power web of influence” presently.

SPECIAL REPORT - PATRIOTS Finally Claim First Victory Against Turkish Propaganda in Thrace

Greek patriots are cheering today following the voting of a controversial bill that will now allow Greek authorities to appoint imams in public schools and mosques in Western Thrace, just as it appoints clerics in the teaching of the Orthodox and Catholic, etc. religions. The bill, which was first initiated in 2007, failed to come into law due to strong resistance by some Muslim communities in the region which are negatively influenced by the Turkish Consulate in Komotini. The pleasant surprise was that some members of PASOK also supported this important law.

The bill was passed by a majority vote during the evening hours.

During the heated debates, Golden Dawn MP Panagotis Iliopulos slammed the Turkish deputy from the PASOK party, Ahmet Hacıosman, for having the audacity to be photographed in the presence of a provocative flag of a so-called autonomous Thrace while visiting a foundation in Turkey that claims to be dedicated to issues regarding this area. But he didn't stop there, he also flat out chracterized the PASOK MP of being a “Turkish agent” for the provocative Consulate in Komotini.

On his part, Golden Dawn MP Khirtos Papas, said that his party is going to work hard to prevent any Turkish deputy from being sworn into the Parliament. And Golden Dawn MP, Artemis Matthaiopoulos, said that if the government withdraws the amendment then the Prime Minister has to resign right away. "Golden Dawn says yes to the amendment because Turkey says no."

On his part Hacıosman might of said that visiting an association in the Turkish city of Bursa is not equal to being a “Turkish agent” and that he has always been loyal to and defended his country Greece, but he did not give any explanations as to why he was visting an association which endorses an autonomous Thrace.

During the debate he called on MPs not to listen to motions that lead to deadlock and then asked all not to support this amendment. "I wonder who wants to create tensions in the region ... as a representative of the minority they did not ask for my opinion .. I am ashamed of this amendment. Who took these decisions? It is going to do enormous damage. It is a heavy blow both at home and abroad ... If passed, it would hurt my homeland Greece and Thrace ... I will not put my signature. I urge the parties to vote against. To withdraw it."

His speech prompted veteran PASOK MP to literally explode in anger and he answered his colleague with some good old fashioned rhetoric whipping. Our colleague, said Kaklamanis, has to remember that that he does not speak for one minority, but rather for all the citizens in Rhodope where he is elected. "Maybe Hacıosman is upset but the proposal of PASOK is peace in Thrace."

Basically, Leftists were against the bill, because it goes against Turkish interests in the area of Thrace.

Now that the Bill has passed, the recruitment process will proceed as follows: (and not as the Turkish press has presented it).

The Ministry of Education will set up a five member committee to select the Imams. Its members will comprise of 1) a mufti, 2) an employee of the Ministry of Education, 3) a faculty member with expertise in Islamic studies, 4) a Muslim theologian who will be appointed by the Ministry of Education and 5) another Muslim theologian who be appointed by the mufti.

Those selected will sign a contract for nine of nine months with the Ministry of Education so that the phenomenon that was caused by Law 3536/2007, when the mufti of Komotini refused to sign the contracts of Imams - after pressure from the Turkish Consulate, is not repeated.

In their statements before the voting, Hacıosman and SYRIZA deputies Ayhan Karayusuf and Huseyin Zeybek had stated that they would unequivocally reject the bill if it comes to the agenda of the assembly.

Whether the Turkish Consulate in Komotini likes it or not, education has to be one, common and equal for all Hellenic citizens, whether they are Christian and/or Muslim.

Some may ask why are these issues only concentrated in Thrace? Well, the stories about the Turkish influence in Thrace are not out of story books, they are more than real, and very, very frightening. The truth is that the situation in Thrace is only getting worse. Turkey’s program of inciting the local Muslim population, whilst simultaneously raising minority concerns in bilateral relations with Greece is in full speed in the framework of gaining leverage on geopolitical issues. Many geo-strategists in Greece believe Turkey's long term designs are to create another Cyprus (or the threat of another Cyprus) and even perhaps another Kosovo whereby they use a false pretext, protecting a "threatened" Muslim minority, so that they can have a reason to invade another country.

In an article titled, “They are cultivating the climate for the minority” by Niko Meleti from the website, Infognomon, some of the strange developments that have been occurring amongst the Muslim community in Thrace guided by the support of Turkey were highlighted.

For example, in 2009, Mustafa Sarnits, Turkish Consul General in Komotini, during the attendance of a children’s graduation ceremony of “Koran Koursou”, one of the many Islamic denominational schools which have filled Thrace, went to a Pomak village of Kechros and gave this message:

    ... I see here a Turkish community in abnegation. Continue this struggle without succumbing and support Turkism, thanks to you Turkism will continue in Thrace and will continue to live ...

Sarnits, a few days later visited the Pomak village of Chloe, to participate in celebrations in which certain people are trying to re-introduce the “Forty Kourbania” (the forty sacrifices). The event is in memory of forty soldiers of Turk Suleiman Pasha, who fell in the struggle for the conquest of Thrace in the 14th century!

Many people who work together or on the part of the Turkish Consulate are also urging Muslims to send their children to minority-only schools (and not bilingual public schools), so as to further the reach of Islamic Turkish identity. In other words, so the process of Turkification can continue.

Obviously, these incidents have raised legitimate concerns about the methodical and systematic effort of the Turkish Consulate - surpassing its mission and terms of reference - to cultivate favorable grounds for the demands of Turkey to interfere directly and in a divisive manner in the internal affairs of Greece.

Of interest is also a classified document (No. 1044 / 12 September 2008) from the National Intelligence Service (EYP), and which was revealed by the magazine “Epikaira”, claiming that the intense involvement of the US Consulate in Thessaloniki in this region as well. According to the document the ultimate goal was the manipulation of the Greek Muslim minority and its subsequent exploitation to serve American interests in the region.

The Greek secret services highlighted the very strong interest shown by U.S. officials on issues related to minority education, going so far as to exert pressure even on a specific teacher working in a minority elementary school in the village Megalos Dereios in Evros. The teacher was the well-known Chara Nikopoulou, who, after having provoked the wrath of the Turkish consulate in Komotini, because she strongly argued that her students being Pomaks were not Turks, she was subsequently targeted by the Greek Ministry of Education, which swiftly transferred her, criticizing her for exercising foreign policy inside the school.

Speaking of the Pomak community, through lies and deceit, Turkophiles in Thrace are working towards creating the regime and pseudo state they have long been wishing for. Local Turkish-bred officials won't let Pomaks build homes of their own, yet they conveniently shift the blame on the Greek state. The intimidation of Greek Muslim Pomaks by hired stool pigeons of the Turkish Consulate in Komotini has been publicly denounced on more than one occasion, and the ways in which Ankara has been trying for years to embrace the Muslim population of Greek Thrace is well documented.

Admittedly, all too often, the practices employed by Consulate officials can be traced back to a series of fateful mishandling on the part of the Greek state in previous decades, such as its refusal to tear down any barrier that led to the Pomaks' isolation, which has since impacted on their lives in multiple ways. Thank heavens that was in the past, and things have now changed.

The most pervasive change perceived in the Pomak population is the restoration of trust in the Greek authorities, which has resulted in their feeling encouraged enough to invest funds -- small, yet effective -- in business start ups, new housing projects or attempts to rebuild already existing homes. This change-of-heart and newly experienced entrepreneurial drive among Greek Pomaks is the effect of the horrendous exploitation they suffered in the hands of a promised 'Turkish homeland'.

One only needs to consider the physical abuse and kidnappings of Pomaks by Turkish nationals, once the former attempted to claim part of their earnings from their investments, in order to begin to grasp the enormity of the collective crime perpetrated in the region. The Turks not only apparently abused the Pomaks, but also demanded ransom to allow them to return to their families, or so some reports say. Still, the Pomaks' willingness to invest in the land, i.e. in the construction of new homes and the rebuilding of ancestral ones turned out to be a pivotal issue that gave rise to a series of turbulent developments, masterfully orchestrated by Ankara and its agent provocateurs within the local government system of Thrace, i.e. councillors and mayors.

Interestingly enough, such interventionist practices of Turkish-bred officials could be observed in the municipalities of Selero and Myki, within the prefecture of Xanthi, where Turkophile sentiments run high and local government officials are in effect puppets of the self-proclaimed mufti Ahmed Mete, as well as of any appointed consul in Komotini.

As was expected, the 'boys' of the Turkish Consulate in Komotini took full advantage of the Greek administrative disorder and rigidity in order to convince the Pomaks that the Greek state is solely to blame and will do anything in its power to block the construction of new homes by the Pomak population, which, needless to say, is a preposterous lie. This lie was easily turned into a propaganda tool in the hands of the Turkish Consulate, now busy manufacturing slurs against the 'insensitive' Greek state, which has supposedly put a ban on the construction of Pomak homes, thus forcing the Pomak population to live in a 'cramped enclave', while their living standard keeps declining, as they have no choice but to live in deprivation. That, in short, is the crux of the masterfully manufactured Turkish propaganda in Thrace.

According to local administrative red tape that was typical of previous decades, the issuing of a permit for the construction of a house fell in the jurisdiction of the local Department of Urban Infrastructure operating in each prefecture. As a result of the changes brought about by the Kapodistrias project, initiated by the Greek government, it is now the local municipal authorities that have that jurisdiction. They are responsible for setting up a municipal urban infrastructure service, hire any necessary staff and allocate funds off the municipal budget for various purposes.

Sadly, the Turkish-bred local administration officials chose not to set up that service, despite the fact that they were well aware of the fact that their decision, or lack thereof, would impact on the lives of any Greek Muslim Pomaks wishing to apply for a permit in order to build a new home. When the Pomaks protested against the absence of a local permit-issuing service, a debate flared up. Eventually, the service was set up, but the Pomaks were now faced with another hurdle: no new houses could be built as there was no prior urban-planning study to enable a decision to expand the borders of the Pomak community. To make matters worse, there was no effort whatsoever on the part of Turkish-bred officials to obtain the approval necessary for the funding of such a study. That left the Pomaks of the tiny community of Glafki, in the municipality of Myki, with no other choice but, either to build on already existing property or, worse even, to give up trying and leave the area, since they were not even allowed to build a chicken coop outside the borders of their community.

Meanwhile, the problem that has emerged as a result of the local administration inertia is being used as a pretext for the launching of another round of anti-Greek propaganda by Ankara. "They won't let us build our homes," moan the Turkish-hired agents in the coffee houses, purposefully failing to name the actual perpetrators. What it all boils down to is a new impasse for the Pomak population, for which the local Turkish-bred officials are wholly to blame, and yet that blame is placed on the Greek state, since no one dares to inform the Pomaks -- for fear of undergoing what the Pomaks already have -- that it is now the local mayor and town councillors that are in charge of urban planning issues, including any decisions affecting the drafting and redefining of the borders of a community as well as the issuing of new construction permits.

In case anyone should wonder how the Greek state has reacted to yet another wave of slander against it, typically, it has done absolutely nothing to help the truth and hard facts to surface. For unspecified reasons, the government mechanism has gone into hibernation and does not seem capable of pointing to the true nature and roots of the problem, or intervening to facilitate the surmounting of obstacles mindfully or mindlessly set up and used as means of propaganda by the Consulate circles.

And there you have it. The vote, might be a minor step at solving some of our national issues but at least it is a step. Seriously, how can any patriot allow Thrace to become a field where any enemy can roam free, planting the seeds of Turkish propaganda? How can people who love this country and its rich history allow the spreading of negative impressions and doubts to loom as to the effectiveness of the Greek welfare state and the degree of equality and equity that all Greek citizens? Especially with Greek Muslims.

In such a framework, the State, and especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs -- which, for some VERY ODD reason, happens to be in charge of a number of issues relating to Thrace (or was during the Papandreou era) -- ought to collaborate so that at least part of the "armory" of Turkish propaganda can be eliminated.

Some might say that is wishful thinking on our part, and we here at HellasFrappe would agree with them, but our hope is that the present government correct the wrongdoings of the past, (and especially those made during PASOK's rule) which were totally passive and always had an awkwardly silent stance on many issues in this region.

References

• Defencenet
• madata.gr
• newsbomb
• antifonitis
• infognomonpolitics
• proxeneio-stop
• HellasFrappe Archive - Classified documents reveal US energy coup & Papandreou's retreat on FYROM  
• HellasFrappe Archive - Yes Virginia: Modern Heroes Do Exist: The Story of Hara Nikopoulou

HF

Parliament Decides Single Vote With 4 Ballots On Probe Of "Lagarde list"

 The Greek Parliament in Athens (credit: Wikipedia)

The Greek parliament plenary decided that a single vote will be held with four ballot boxes - one for each of the four individuals on which motions have been tabled for investigation by a parliamentary preliminary investigation committee on accountability of political figures in the so-called 'Lagarde list' affair.  MPs decided that a single vote will be held, but with four ballot boxes, for each of the four individuals that political parties have proposed be investigated, in order to ensure that the secrecy of the vote is respected. Four ballots sheets will be handed out to the MPs for the vote, each containing the name of one of the four individuals and the specific wrongdoings that individual is being referred to the parliamentary probe committee for investigation.

Parliament later will be called on to decide whether the politicians that handled the 'Lagarde list' should face a criminal investigation over their failure to make use of the information this contained in order to uncover possible tax evasion or illegal income, and also in connection with the three names removed from the list that were family members of former PASOK finance minister George Papakonstantinou.

The ruling three-party coalition (New Democracy, PASOK, DIMAR) has proposed that there be a preliminary investigation only for Papakonstantinou, main opposition SYRIZA wants an investigation of both Papakonstantinou and his successor at the finance ministry, current PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos, while the Independent Greeks party has motioned that the investigation also include former premiers George Papandreou and Lucas Papademos.

The 'Lagarde list', sent roughly two years ago to the then Greek finance minister George Papakonstantinou by the then French finance minister Christine Lagarde (currently managing director of the IMF), contained the names of 1,991 Greek citizens with sizeable bank accounts at the Geneva branch of HSBC bank. The list had ended up in the hands of French authorities about four years ago when they seized digital evidence from the house of former HSBC employee Herve Falciani. (AMNA)

ZAGALISA: the newspaper of the Pomaks of Greece

"ZAGALISA" is the oldest newspaper of the forty-thousand Greek Thrace’s Pomaks. It was established in 1997. Today, this newspaper is re-published in order to:

a) reserve the Pomak language which is included in the catalogue of the less-speaking languages in Europe,

b) defend the cultural rights of the Pomaks

c) demand from the Greek government to stop treating legally and practically the Pomak population as a part of the Turkish-speaking Muslim minority with which the only bonds that exist are the religious ones.

d) invite the international organizations such as the European Union, the United Nations, human rights’ organizations and the common opinion, to protect the Pomaks from the genocide practices which the members of the Greek Thrace’s Turkish-speaking minority are carrying out (in cooperation with the Turkish government). At this point, we must mention that these members are denying to the Pomaks the right of self-determination, forcing them to declare that they are Turkish and not Pomaks in a racist way.

We declare that the fight which is being carried out by the Greek Thrace’s Turkish speaking people in order to protect their rights is hypocritical as it is being based on the racism and the psychological violence against the Pomaks. We do not want to be Pomak minority inside Turkish minority, we just want to be Pomaks in the name of the a free and democratic Greek society. zagalisa

Gov't Sends Condolences On Death of Greek American Journalist

Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou, New Democracy (ND) party Political Committee secretary Manolis Kefaloyiannis and ND's Overseas Hellenism secretary Takis Skandalakis  expressed their condolences over the death of Greek American journalist Dimitris Kastanas.Avramopoulos said that Kastanas "gave a voice to Hellenism of America and at the same time he brought the American public into contact with 'the image of a Greece that made us all proud with its history and its culture'."

Kedikoglou was quoted by the state news agency as saying that Kastanas "succeeded in winning the hearts of the millions of Greek American viewers, conveying the image of a Greece that made them proud for its history and its culture".Kefaloyiannis stressed that Kastanas devoted his life to the briefing of Overseas Hellenism, while Skandalakis said that the deceased "for many decades constituted one of the basic pylons of Hellenism of New York". 

Dutch Tourists Arrivals To Ionian Islands Expected To Rise in 2013

View from Spartochori, Meganisi, Ionian Islands(credit: Wikipedia)

The Ionian islands are not only a favorite holiday favorite for Greeks, but they are also very popular with the Dutch. At the recent Utrecht Travel and Tourism Fair that was held between January 8-13, the Ionian Islands Periphery took part with its own pavilion and according to reports it looks like our western Greek islands will probably see a 5-10 percent increase in Dutch tourist arrivals this year. Indeed, the general mood in the travel market about Greece has completely changed, and this is also very evident in The Netherlands.

New Commissioners Of Greek Systemic Banks

(credit: Wikipedia)

Grant Thornton, Mazar's and KPMG have been appointed as commissioners - independent accountants at the country's largest bank with the task of controlling credit policy decisions and having a say in the restructuring of troubled loans. The European Union has informed the country's four large, systemic, banks that Grant Thornton will take over as commissioner in National Bank and Eurobank - the two banks are in the process of merging -, Mazar's in Alpha Bank and KPMG in Piraeus Bank.

Their first job will be to evaluate the situation of each bank and setting - in cooperation with the banks' managements - the main business targets. The independent accountants will submit quarterly progress reports to the European Union. The four systemic banks have already submitted their business plans, while they are currently working on revised plans. Greek bankers said they were fully prepared to work together with commissioners and looked forward to a fruitful cooperation.

In other banking news, the National Bank of Greece (NBG) said it has not drafted any plan to withdraw from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) -where the bank trades its ADRs on its common and preferred shares. In an announcement to the Athens Stock Exchange -replying to press reports- the bank said, however, it was constantly examining all data and prospects of its share transaction in organized markets and was immediately informing investors over any developments.

And finally, Greece successfully auctioned a 13-week Treasury bill issue raising 1.625 billion euros from the market at a lower cost. The Public Debt Management Organization, in a statement, said that the yield of the issue was set at 4.07 pct, down from 4.11 pct in the previous auction of same T-bills in December 18, 2012. Bids submitted totaled 2.82 billion euros, or 1.75 times more than the asked sum. The organization also accepted non-competitive bids worth 375 million euros. Settlement date was set for Friday, 18 January.

(Combined reports, AMNA)