What 2011 holds for our national issues…

As evident and normal may the concern of a number of Greeks be about our national issues’ fate in 2011 it is certainly even further enhanced by information regarding secret agreements on dividing the Aegean in favor of Turkish interests. Anguish is getting even more intense by the financial crisis that in turn provides national compromises’ fans with an alibi to hastily conform to unthinkable terms under the pretext of “we are indebted, we are in no position to maintain a proud foreign policy” Of course history teaches differently.

In 1893 Trikoupis stated “Unfortunately we went bankrupt” and in 1897 the International Fiscal Auditing system was imposed on our country. Despite the severe financial problems confronted at the time, the respective inspection group was not called IMF but International Fiscal Audit while Hellas stood up again on its feet quickly so that in 1912-13 managed to liberate millions of enslaved brethren. That happened as despite the country had gone bankrupt financially it was still hearty morally and intellectually teaching thereupon a lesson very useful to our contemporary condition.

There are numerous fronts as well as various problems arising My personal opinion is that we displayed tardiness in designating our Exclusive Economic Zone in the Aegean while our fellow-national Cypriots have taken significant steps in regard with this matter. Irrespective of the Turkish huffing we should utilize such possibility provided by the International Law of the Sea and furthermore declare Kastelorizo’s Exclusive Economic Zone. It is only this way that the E.E.Z of both Hellas and Cyprus would be directly adjacent and essentially convergent. The most recent agreement between Cyprus and Israel should be exemplified in view with confronting Turkish peremptoriness.

In Thrace, the Hellenic state displays suicidal tendencies. Turkey uses the Muslim minority as a leverage to create incidents aiming at a lose autonomy in Rodopi area and…we’ll see later. Davutoglou in his book “Stategic Depth” explicitly states that Turks will act in Thrace as they have in Cyprus while there is an abundance of maps and flags of the Autonomous Thrace around the Internet. It is about time that we should send a warning message to the Turkish Consulate in Komotini that if it keeps on crossing its diplomatic appositeness’ line it then would have to cease its operation there. Also it is time that the Turkish Consulate stopped intimidating the Pomaks. In a democratic member-state to the E.U., the Pomaks are entitled to publicly declare that their ethnic identity is NOT Turkish and also to feel free to prefer Greek and Pomakic and not Turkish as teaching language in education.

In Cyprus, the Marxist President, Mr. Christofias has stunned the world by his constant mistakes and his unreflecting statements encouraging so the occupying forces. He signed a treaty for two constituent states, satisfying Ankara in its major dividing plans. At the same time he banters with some so-called “progressive” Turkish-Cypriots who are always in commanded service to “Attila”. Moreover the President de-hellenizes education while he calls Hellas a bad motherland and invader, in effect granting absolution to the Turkish occupying forces. It was very righteously that the Archbishop Chryssostomos B’ in his Christmas message delivered in the churches throughout the island stressed out:

“In pursuance of an endurable solution, we have been led to slumping by continuously giving in without the Turkish intransigence would by the least be relented. Instead of impeaching Turkey in all places possible, we have whitewashed it of its liability of invasion and of the crime of ethnic cleansing and settlement that Turkey is still carrying out furthermore holding our people responsible and guilty of the sufferings it has been going under. Thus it was us who entered into international isolation and the occupying force has remained undisturbed to pretend strenuously searching for a solution whereas we are presented to be intransigent”.

In regard with the issue of the name of FYROM all our compromises as well as the much advertised economic diplomacy have failed. For as long as we establish businesses in the neighboring country its people will keep an implacable profile and as long as we are suicidal in national issues negotiating with Mr. Niemitz, he in turn will be exerting heavier pressure on us to change the names to our Ministries and Universities that may include the name ”Macedonia’ . Let’s finally take a close look on the breaking up evidence in our neighboring state. Albanians amount up to 30% of the population and feel fascinated by the Kosovo’s creepy example. Sooner or later they will disunite the tiny state of Skopjie and eventually unite with their brethren.   As an act of counter balance the Slavic community squints towards Bulgaria for support vis-à-vis Albanians. There are thousands of FYROM people who suddenly “discovered” Bulgarian descent, one of them being the former Prime Minister Georgievski. This statelet will either tear down or formulate a lose cantonization. FYROM is obviously in a frail state. Thus it should be us to pressure and not to be pressured on.

In Albania, despite the seemingly bilateral good relations, the Hellenic community has been suffering multiple suppression and intimidating attacks. Hellas has to insist on a just registration of any Hellenic and more widely of Orthodox element during the census in April 2011. We should make clear that each euro that Albania woos from the E.U would first be approbated by Athens only in case Albania observes the human rights of N. Epirotans. Let’s demand that their propaganda about returning properties to war criminals Chams end. As long as we appear tepid on these issues our stance definitely would be mistaken as weakness.

National issues include education, illegal immigration and demographics. We certainly have time to discuss about them in another opportunity. Happy New Year!

Konstantinos Holevas, Political Scientist