by Christina Rougheri, Greek Helsinki Monitor and Minority Rights Group - Gr.

Internal Minorities

The annual State Department report on human rights

The official Greek political practice of not recognizing any national minority in Greece is followed almost by the whole Greek press. Sensitive issues, like those usually taken up by the annual State Department report on human rights, are treated with suspicion, reproaching the State Department for some intentional distortion of the truth to serve some interests and political purposes. The reference to the Macedonian minority in Greece is apparently disturbing all newspapers that mention the issue. There are references on "alleged minority and alleged discrimination" (Eth. 31/1) "discovered by the report" (N. 31/1) and on "strange wording on the bilinguals of Western Macedonia" (Ad.T. 31/1). Characteristic is the following excerpt: "Specifically as regards the ‘pseudo-Macedonians’ the State Department mentions that the Greek authorities forbid the Slav-speaking population to call itself a minority and name itself ‘Macedonian’" (E.T. 31/1).

It is a noteworthy contradiction the way the Greek press treats the same report when it refers to other countries: then it is considered authoritative. For example, on Turkey: "They see increasing human rights violations in Turkey" (El. 31/1): "a report slap in the face of Turkey from the US (finally) on the Turks’ barbarisms (…) Addicted beasts" (Ad.T. 31/1); "Slap in the face of Ankara from the State Department" (E.T. 31/1). It is characteristic that when the press covers comparatively Greece and Turkey, the coverage of Greece is limited without comments, or with comments along the usual line of challenge and suspicion (Ap. 31/1, N. 31/1).

Other coverage of minorities

The same suspicious if not aggressive attitude towards anything related to minorities is seen in articles on the visit of American officials in Northern Greece to inform themselves on human rights issues, meeting among others members of the minority in Thrace and of "Rainbow" [party of the Macedonian minority]. "Anti-Greek propaganda of the USA in Salonica" (Ap. 22/2); "questionable games at the expense of our country" as "Americans linger about Thrace" (Ad.T. 22/2). A similar comment on the Aspen Institute’s "negative report" [of the International Commission on the Balkans] with "anti-Greek scenarios from a ‘committee of wise men’" (Ap. 23/2).

In an interview (Ad.T. 16/2), former Assistant Foreign Minister Virginia Tsouderou speaks vehemently on the minority in Thrace and the alleged role of the Turkish Consulate there. "The Turkish Consulate in Komotini buys off people and consciences"; she attributes the recent incidents resulting from building works in the Kimmeria mosque to a falsification of a document of the building inspection authority by an employee who was "bribed" by Turkey’s agents. "Between 1990-1995, Muslims bought some 1,300 acres in Thrace, a fact that gives rise to suspicions that the money comes from Turkey rather than from the uncle in America (…) When I was in the ministry, tens of agents tried to enter Thrace under the cover of the mufti." It is indicative that the journalist’s comments not only agree but even strengthen the views of the Greek politician, making the article even more prone to boost the xenophobic impressions it may leave to the reader. The title is "We’ve become a country that gets humiliating slaps in the face" and the lead includes the following excerpts. "Orgy of terror by Turkish Consulate men in Thrace. Erbakan’s agents, totally insolent, ‘throw to the lions’ whoever does not satisfy Ankara’s appetite. Their target are the Greek Muslims in Komotini and Xanthi who want to cut the ‘umbilical cord’ with Turkey. (…) They are beating relentlessly, destroying properties, blackmailing, bribing and exerting tremendous pressure on whoever resists them. (…) The MIT [the Turkish Intelligence Service] has infiltrated even our civil service! They paid handsomely and filled the pockets of Greek employees in order to forge official documents. (…) They put up re-transmitters so that we hear them all day insulting us."

The above article is a follow-up to a story from the previous week (Ad.T. 9/2) with the title: "Yourousi [Turkish for assault] on Thrace" addressing the possible mass repatriation of Turks in Greece, as a consequence to a decision of the European Court that allows the free movement of Turks who are working in the EU member states. That issue is related to "the return in the sensitive area of Thrace of thousands of Muslims with Turkish conscience whose citizenship had been revoked for anti-Greek activity" and the abolition of article 19 of the Greek Citizenship Code, "which is under preparation". The conclusion is that "this is the first step towards the return of the declared agents of Ankara." Another article refers to a BBC program on the Kimmeria mosque issue. The journalist considers the program as part of the "dangerous debate on the Muslims’ oppression in Thrace". In an attempt to answer the allegations therein that a Turkish mayor was beaten up, the article ends with the comment: "He must have thought that he is in Turkey to have such memories of beatings" (Ad.T. 14/2).

Two more negative pieces on Thrace in Ad.T. In the first (26/2), reporting on the trial of minority journalist Dede, there is a reference to an alleged "alliance between the Muslim bow and the Rainbow (…) Muslims and pro-Skopjans booed the witnesses for the prosecution". The other is a letter of a high school student from Thrace, in which many usual stereotypes are reproduced (1/2): "Thrace is being lost for lack of interest on the part of the government. (…) Here Turks live in homes you would be ashamed to walk on the floor of. They enter the civil service when Thrace experiences heavy unemployment. (…) My high school is 50 meters away from the church and we can hardly hear the bell. When the hodja though speaks from the mosque which is 100 meters away he can be heard louder than our professor. (…) The Turks in Thrace, if they are not already, will in a few years become more numerous than us. (…) I call them Turks rather than Muslims first because they say it, and secondly as in their schools and mosques where they take their classes, in the end, they all together repeat ten times ‘I am a Turk.’"

On the other minorities, the following quote saying that the representatives of the European Bureau of Less Spoken Languages "who visit from time to time our country are treated like agents of some invisible enemy or of ‘anti-Greek interests’" (El. 9/2) is indicative of the climate. The presence of a Macedonian minority is as usually contested. There are references to "constructed ‘Macedonians’ that we call out of embarrassment Slavomacedonians" (El. 28/2); or that "they insist in calling themselves ‘Macedonians’ refusing to adopt even formally the term ‘Slavomacedonians.’ And of course, there is no ‘Greek Macedonia’ for them but only ‘the Aegean part of Macedonia.’ We are talking about the Slav-speaking/Slavomacedonians in Greece represented mainly by ‘Rainbow’" (El. 13/2). This comment, like the following one, was triggered by a Greek and Macedonian NGO meeting in Skopje (among them Greek Helsinki Monitor and Minority Rights Group-Greece). "A non-governmental delegation discussed, they say, with our good neighbors, the Aegean issue and the question on whether there are Skopje "Macedonians" from Greece whose identity is challenged by us, the bad racist Greeks, and we also search through their files at the customs offices. We have no doubt whatsoever that some empty-headed ‘progressive’ ones from our side went to Skopje to discuss the … Aegean issue and other such … racist problems" (Ad.T. 16/2).

On the Roma, we have one article on their problems in Evosmos ("The Undesirable" Ad.T. 16/2); and another one on similar problems in Chios ("Respectable Chios residents against Gypsies", El. 27/2), in which many inhabitants (among them the local police director) state the following in a petition: "the establishment of a Gypsy camp near the slaughterhouse is very dangerous for public health and there is a direct danger of epidemics, as the public storage of excrements of a large number of people, besides the fact that excrements carry viruses, may also have other infections like hepatitis; these viruses may reach our meals through the animal products traded through the slaughterhouses." On the (illegal) immigrants, the debate on the draft decree for their legalization includes hostile references like "the import of minorities which will alter the demographic element of the country" (El. 1/2, letter to the editor); and "they will contribute to the explosion of the criminality indicators in our country" (K. 16/2).

The social and political dimension of the collapse of the pyramids in Albania, the continuing protests in Tirana and Vlore, their impact on the Berisha government and the economic consequences on Greece of a new wave of illegal immigrants are daily dealt with by the Greek press. Albanians are presented as "desperate, cheated, and indignant depositors" (El. 17/2), "the Balkans’ miserable ones (…) who don’t have even bread to eat" (E.T. 17/2), "the wretched ones who try to come to our country to escape poverty and misery’ (Eth. 16/2), "disappointed ones" (Ad.T. 17/2), and "the angry ones who took it to the streets" (Ap. 8/2).

Berisha’s image is deteriorating daily, as he is presented as the most responsible one for the crisis, the man who backed and was backed by the pyramids and other such illicit operations, taking into account mainly his own personal interests and his hold on power, deceiving his own people. "They knew they were backing a gangster" (El. 15/2), "Government of mobsters in Albania" (E.T. 15/2). The official invitation to Berisha to visit Greece was criticized by many: "Simitis’ life-saving for Berisha" (E.T. 16/2), "Backing Berisha? That’s too much!" (Ap. 24/2). As for the impact on Greece, widespread are the fears of "a descent of the hungry from Albania" (E.T. 15/2), contributing to the creation of a new wave of Albanophobia: "Greek/Albanian borders. Soldiers on the alert" (Ad.T. 17/2), "Long queues for visas to Greece" (E.T. 14/2).

Research results published in K. (16/2) under the title "who do Greeks see as foreigners" (16/2) indicates that "in the conscience of most Greeks the image of the immigrant is identified with that of the Albanian and has as a consequence the stereotype ‘Albanian, illegal immigrant, violent, thief, dangerous, criminal’ (…) the use of violence against Albanians and, more generally, against other immigrants is no longer a moral demerit. In the conscience of many people it is been preceded by the image of these immigrants as inferior and potentially dangerous. A migrant has henceforth the image of a human being unworthy of respect and protection."

Characteristic along this line is the story of the fatal shooting of an Albanian by a Greek policeman: "They did well to shoot that 19-year old in Kastoria (…) In any case, it does not really matter that someone shot an Albanian out there in Kastoria. We will not miss him anyway. We expect thousands to come our way in the following months" (Ad.T. 12/2). Or an article (Eth. 21/1) "The Albanians are coming again" which perpetuates the stereotype of Albanians as "scoundrels and slanderer aliens."

Bulgaria and Bulgarians

The crisis in Bulgaria is covered on a daily basis by the Greek press. Articles focus on the difficult economic situation of the country, often in relation to the general situation in the Balkans (and especially in Albania), and the potential wave of new illegal immigrants. Hyperinflation, continuous changes in the exchange rate of the lev, the timidity of the governments of recent years to take measures to improve the economic situation and create a more favorable investment climate are the main themes of the greater part of the articles. The image of Bulgarians - miserable people who are deprived of the essential foodstuff, and search even in the dustbins - is the dominant one. The following titles are indicative: "They eat dog food" (K. 20/2), "They eat from the food of the dogs", (Ad.T. 20/2), "In Bulgaria they miss even bread" (K. 21/1), "Bulgaria on the verge of misery" (El. 19/2), "We are importing more from Bulgaria which is hungry!" (El. 24/2).

Macedonia and Macedonians

News from Macedonia this month focus on the protest demonstrations of Macedonian students against instruction in Albanian at the Pedagogical Academy of Skopje University. The related stories often link the issue with the situation in Kosovo with its Albanian minority, the economic crisis in Albania, the political crisis in Serbia, expressing the fear that Berisha and Milosevic will exploit the situation for internal political reasons. The image of a situation out of control and full of dangers in the Balkans is prevailing. "The thermometer of nationalism in the Balkans is on the rise" (El. 25/2), "Skopjan students on strike" (Eth. 18/2), "Anti-Albanian demonstration of students" (El. 18/2), "War of demonstrations in Skopje" (El. 26/2). Newspapers cover this issue mostly in a ‘neutral’ way, without calling the student protests ‘nationalistic’. Finally, in a story in E.T. (7/2) with the title "Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia in Berlin" we have another case of contesting the use of the name Macedonia instead of FYROM by the embassy in the German capital.

This month too, Romania is covered less than the other countries in the Greek press. The related stories focus on the country’s economic problems and the efforts to overcome the possible political repercussions of the necessary program of privatizations and the fight against unemployment. The dominant image is that of a small country that is trying to come out of the crisis with as little pain as possible. Indicative titles: "They abandoned 100,000 children in Romania" (El. 11/2), "They abandon babies in Romania" (Ap. 11/2), "Unemployment in Romania" (K. 7/2).

Serbia and Serbs

Milosevic’s interview in the country’s largest circulation newspaper Vima (9/2) gives an image of him contrary to the one that almost all Greek papers have been presenting since the beginning of the demonstrations. Here the Serbian leader emerges through his answers as a man who never sought power, who was compelled to implicate his country in "a blood bath caused by foreign interests" and who tries to help democracy take roots in his country. It is noteworthy that the other papers who usually give a different image of Milosevic refrained from commenting on that interview. Otherwise, the negative stories about Milosevic continue. "Milosevic made 256 million dollars from cigarette smuggling" (El. 8/2), "Milosevic will sell out post and telecommunication to survive" (El. 10/2).

But positive stories about Serbia are still published, like the commentary "Underground" (Ad.T. 7/2). "Allow me to disagree with the dangerous upheaval in much afflicted Yugoslavia. (…) It is a country which affects us, a fatherland that became the target of all the bastards of the world. (…) As we were about to say ‘thank God!’ and brag like Orthodox, something happens and everything collapses. (…) What a shame. Who would have expected from a people which stood united against the bullets and the hunger to humiliate themselves on party issues. (…) What are they looking for now? For Milosevic to go and get some kind of Yeltsin in his place or to have some liberal experience like Berisha’s, so as to enjoy … elections and liberalism. (…) What can I say. Demonstrations with the clergy in the front! I lose face. Muslims can only be happy and those who were bombing us through yesterday may now intervene to … help restore order."

In another interview, R. Karadjic (E.T. 2/2) is presented as a "star" and "Pale’s myth" despite his warmongering statements which were reflected in the title "I will start a war if …" The journalist frequently justifies Karadjic’s action "who saw their fellow countrymen been tortured, built alive in concrete mixer of Muslims, beheaded by knives of Croats, with the victimizers then taking pictures with their trophies." Karadjic is presented here as an unfairly treated person, victim of "the color-blind West", whose "hatred for the Turkish conquerors is boiling."

Turkey and Turks

Speculation in Turkey about the evolution of her regime, the debate on the theocratic vs. the secular state, the fears of the complete domination of Islamists and the role of the army to avert Islamisation of political life characterize the Greek and European press. Turkey is presented as a country which is functioning outside the usual European models. It is a country with two faces, torn between the East and the West, and also hostile, threatening, aggressive, barbarian and uncivilized. "The Islamist government under the threat of a new coup; the army paraded the tanks to make it clear that it will not allow the imposition of a theocratic regime" (Ad.T. 6/2). "Turkey is in a transition period between the evolution to an Islamist state and the imposition of a military dictatorship aiming at the return of the Attaturk order. Both alternatives lead to regimes which have no place in a democratic civilization" (El. 9/2). The Turkish puzzle is completed with news and comments about para-state mechanism and connections with rackets of drug dealers and smugglers: "Turkey trades drugs" (El. 16/2), "Ciller was bribing American journalists" (E.T. 15/2), "Turkish monopoly, the market of human pain" (Ad.T. 10/2). There were also articles covering the mobilization of Turkish citizens and their protests, to underline the negative image of the regime and indicate that Turks cannot take it any more: "Every night at 9pm, Turks turn off the lights as a message of indignation" (N. 20/2), "Women have rebelled against Islamic law" (El. 17/2), "Conflict within the Turkish establishment" [following the reaction of the Union of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen to the international image of Turkey and Erbakan’s intentions to make a tilt to the Orient] (K. 2/2).

As usual, unfavorable references and reports on human rights issues are put forward by the Greek press in every opportunity. "Ninety-nine journalists and publishers in Turkish prisons" (N. 13/2), "Media should learn karate" (El. 10/2), "Slap in the face to Turkey form Denmark" (Eth. 10/2).

There were though some articles whose purpose was clearly to contradict the usual negative stereotypes. First, a dossier (El. 2/2) on the "known-unknown Turkish left". "They dream of a better future, without state terrorism, racism and misery. Greek media usually do not deign to cover these other Turks, who contradict the stereotypes we have learnt at school." Then an article presenting the love story of a Greek and a Turk: "Greek-Turkish version of St. Valentine" (El. 14/2). Also, an article referring to the meeting of Greek and Turkish journalists to discuss the role of the media in the Greek-Turkish crisis around the Imia rocky isles which includes an optimistic comment that such efforts will continue in the future (El. 8/2). And, from the sports pages, the Turkish weight-lifter Naim Suleimanoglou supports the Greek national team which was implicated in rumors that some of its members were involved in a doping scandal: "Naim backs Greece and Iakovou [the team’s trainer]" (Eth. 19/2).