Turkish government provokes Greece with website while two nations cooperate on earthquake relief
Posted by News Editor at 5/15/2008 11:30 AM 
Categories: Ecumenical Patriarchate,Greek-Turkish relations
Categories: Ecumenical Patriarchate,Greek-Turkish relations
Turkish foreign ministry site blatantly distorts Hellenic issues
A new Turkish foreign ministry website has aroused indignation in Greece, claiming, among other things, that Greece is trying to destabilize Turkey. Greece has protested the matter to Turkey. Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis has termed several of the claims on the site "absolutely groundless" and summoned the Turkish ambassador for a clarification, adding, "We expect a correction."
As reported by the Athens News Agency, several statements regarding, in particular the Muslim minority of Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantiople, are objectionable:
The Turkish website makes no mention of Turkey’s toleration of assaults and murders against its Christian minority, its continuing illegal closure of the Greek Orthodox Halki Patriarchal School of Theology, its illegal seizure of Greek Orthodox Church property in Turkey and the prosecutorial harassment of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Instead, it seeks to point the finger at Greece, where a Muslim minority of more than 200,000 continues to live peacefully -- this in contrast to the decimated Orthodox Christian community of Istanbul, which, after decades of pogroms and persecutions has now dwindled to some 2,000 mostly elderly survivors.
This Turkish propaganda represents the epitome of chutzpah. What is even more disturbing is that it comes during a period of supposedly improved relations between Greece and Turkey, that both have said they hoped would lead to Turkish admission to the European Union.
What's going on with the Turks? Why the need now to throw mud on a developing bilateral relationship?
You can link to the Turkish site through the Phantis article. We refuse to put a link to it on this site.
Meanwhile, see what positive devlopments are going on between Greece and Turkey at the same time:
AP: Greek, Turkish military units hold rare joint drill on earthquake relief
A new Turkish foreign ministry website has aroused indignation in Greece, claiming, among other things, that Greece is trying to destabilize Turkey. Greece has protested the matter to Turkey. Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis has termed several of the claims on the site "absolutely groundless" and summoned the Turkish ambassador for a clarification, adding, "We expect a correction."
As reported by the Athens News Agency, several statements regarding, in particular the Muslim minority of Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantiople, are objectionable:
In terms of Thrace, in fact, the Turkish foreign ministry boldly
refers to "...the Turkish Minority who live in the military restricted
zone and make up the largest enclave group in the world today", while
lamenting, further down in the text, the purported existence of a
"restricted military zone" and "military checkpoints" in Evros
prefecture.
Regarding the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate, considered the "primus inter pares" of the world's Orthodox Patriarchates, the Turkish foreign ministry notes, in conclusion, that "... Considering that the Patriarchate is a Turkish institution and the Patriarch has to be a Turkish citizen, the usage of the title of 'Ecumenical' is incongruous with the agreement reached during the Lausanne Peace Conference."
Regarding the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate, considered the "primus inter pares" of the world's Orthodox Patriarchates, the Turkish foreign ministry notes, in conclusion, that "... Considering that the Patriarchate is a Turkish institution and the Patriarch has to be a Turkish citizen, the usage of the title of 'Ecumenical' is incongruous with the agreement reached during the Lausanne Peace Conference."
The Turkish website makes no mention of Turkey’s toleration of assaults and murders against its Christian minority, its continuing illegal closure of the Greek Orthodox Halki Patriarchal School of Theology, its illegal seizure of Greek Orthodox Church property in Turkey and the prosecutorial harassment of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Instead, it seeks to point the finger at Greece, where a Muslim minority of more than 200,000 continues to live peacefully -- this in contrast to the decimated Orthodox Christian community of Istanbul, which, after decades of pogroms and persecutions has now dwindled to some 2,000 mostly elderly survivors.
This Turkish propaganda represents the epitome of chutzpah. What is even more disturbing is that it comes during a period of supposedly improved relations between Greece and Turkey, that both have said they hoped would lead to Turkish admission to the European Union.
What's going on with the Turks? Why the need now to throw mud on a developing bilateral relationship?
You can link to the Turkish site through the Phantis article. We refuse to put a link to it on this site.
Meanwhile, see what positive devlopments are going on between Greece and Turkey at the same time:
AP: Greek, Turkish military units hold rare joint drill on earthquake relief
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