July 1997 Monitoring.

(This summary is based on the July reports from Greece and Turkey).

Mariana Lenkova

GREECE

With the coming of the ALBANIAN elections to the forefront, most of the Greek media show restrained optimism about the future of the neighboring country. "The elections have taken place in Albania. The socialists - former communists- of F. Nano achieved a sweeping victory. This time last year, a sweeping victory had been achieved by the Democratic Party of president S. Berisha, even though under conditions of fraud. The mass shift of the Albanians shows that the people in this country either do not have any orientation or they do not know what they want or even that they are pawns of those who shape, each time, the "suitable" political climate" (Ap. 1/7); "However, it will take efforts to consolidate democracy. For, as is known to everybody, Albania is deprived not only of what in other countries is self-evident and basic with regard to democratic political institutions as well as infrastructure of the economy. Until yesterday it was in the whirlpool of civil war conflicts, corruption and terrorism..." (N. 1). Apart from that, on the occasion of the events at the Greek borderline, an intense climate of Albanophobia is developed. "Fear and terror by the Albanian Mafia. Illegal immigrants kill, rob, steal, kidnap undisturbed..." (Ap. 18); "People were reaping their crops at a village in Kastoria. Albanian bumps, armed to the teeth, arrested them, kidnapped them to Albania and asked for ransom in order to let them free! In what country of the civilized world can such unobstructed invasions take place by bandits who steal, kidnap, kill defenseless citizens, and where nobody reacts? What country will accept to be treated as a state of clouts by some tens or hundreds of Albanian scoundrels (we have written this in the past and without any racist spirit: There is no worse tribe, no filthier people than the Albanians). Who is going to smash these unhesitating goat thieves and bandits, who became insolent only because there is no reaction?" (Ap. 22).

The articles on BULARIA are scant this month. There are positive comments on President Stoyanov’s visit ["Stoyanov is arriving in Athens today, after eight years, a Bulgarian President visits Greece officially" (Ex. 2)], accompanied with annoyance for the misunderstanding about a Bulgarian minority in Greece ["The Bulgarian delegation assured the Greek government that the Bulgarian President never raised the issue about a ‘Bulgarian minority’ in Greece as was initially reported by the news agencies." (Ex. 3)].

In July the media increase their efforts to cultivate a climate of supremacy towards MACEDONIA, while preserving the tendency of treating the name and the minority issues as thorny and unpleasant ones. "The implacable chauvinists in Skopje have understood the ‘trick’ well, namely, that Greece will never again accept them - even if geographically- as Macedonians and it will not recognize them no matter how much they ‘flop about’. What good is it to them even if they get recognized by the USA, if Greece does not accept them... Let alone the fact that they are neighboring with states (Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria) not simply hostile but which, moreover, have governments which will continuously be scheming against them (...) Therefore, there will be a sh... situation sooner or later there too!..." (A.T. 7); "Since the period of the ‘embargo’, the people in the small statelet of Skopje have understood that the development of the economy, stability and peace, pass only via Greece. They have understood well also their neighbors (Bulgarians, Montenegrins, Albanians, Serbs) as well as all the others who promise - like the Americans- only big words. Skopje and its political parties should not forget this!" (A.T. 2); "Northern Epirus remained a hostage in the cold-war game, as, for that matter, was Tito’s enslaved Macedonia (Gligorov’s present-day Skopje) which was set up in 1945 through the collusion of the late marshal Tito and the English agents in the Middle East..." (E.T. 2). On the other hand, the papers start emphasizing the political and historical relations between Bulgaria and Macedonia. "However, see how the so-called ‘Macedonian people’ behaved, also according to the account of Vukmanovic Tempo, when the Bulgarian fascists entered Skopje in 1941: ‘They were greeted as liberators by the greater part of the population, even by certain ‘antifascist circles’. And ever since these circles believed that their country had been ‘liberated’, they have started fighting against the Bulgarians for their social rather than national rights’, (all the texts from: The Expansionist Policy of Skopje, IMXA, 1993). This [is mentioned] so that the Skopjans will not sell that they participated in the resistance of the peoples against Hitler" ("A Reply to Kiro Gligorov", S. Papathemelis, V. 6); "The Bulgarians of the F.Y.R.O.M. have been assimilated, says Gligorov; A significant sensation has been produced in Sofia by K. Gligorov’s recent statements on the Skopje television, regarding the elimination of the pro-Bulgarian positions in his country. A great importance is given to this by the Bulgarian press too" (Ex. 25).

ROMANIA is characterized by (Ex. 7) as a "Balkan oasis" which "has developed into one of the best - if not the best- markets in the Balkans. This fact is attributed to the political stability, compared of course to the rest of the area, but primarily to the recent favorable amendment in the legislation on investments". After making an extensive reference to all the countries in the Balkan zone, (V. 27) recognizes "Romania and Bulgaria" "as the only note of optimism in the area" among the "delayed-action bombs in the Balkans".

Milosevic’s new post ["the new Milosevic beginning" (Ex. 24)] is characterized as a vaulting-board for a new leading role by the former President of SERBIA. "The strings of political life in Serbia are still being pulled by Slobodan Milosevic who keeps for himself the role of the absolute ruler" (Ex. 26).

The month saw the signing of the Madrid Agreement between Greece and TURKEY. While the pro-government press is disposed rather positively towards this fact, the pro-opposition papers openly show their dissatisfaction. "The Madrid Agreement does not serve the Greek interests, and, with this paper, Greece will soon find itself before some reefs... Turkey’s ulterior purpose is the conquest of an island or islands in the Eastern Aegean Sea" (general D. Skarvelis, E.T. 20); "It is a country basically Asiatic, Muslim, with an anti-democratic regime, with serious problems, with the large Kurdish minority, economically underdeveloped, aggressive if we are to judge from the invasion in Cyprus and the routine war operations inside Iraq. By means of the Madrid Agreement, this country secured the ticket to the European Union" (E.T. 13). On every occasion, there is a comparison between the "bad" and "barbarian" Turkey in relation to the "democratic" and "culturally superior" Greece. "The political-military establishment may have put on a European cloak, but this country still conceals within it deep remnants of authoritarianism which pass on ‘by the grace of God’ to all forms of power (…) The Turkish state has not as yet shown the necessary respect towards its citizens, so that it can be included in the society of the dignified countries. It ought to implement at last the fundamental human rights inside the country, otherwise it will have to always resort to favors for the powerful ones" (N. 19); "The good of democracy is unknown in our neighboring country in the sense that it is understood by us. Since 1923, the Turks have always been enjoying a democracy of the tanks or a democracy under the guardianship of the military" (Ap. 20); "Turkey has to cover a long distance before it reaches the level of democracy in the European countries, particularly if it wants to press on with its entry into the EU." (E.T. 20). As far as Turkey’s desire to join the EU is concerned "[W]e cannot accept a free movement - as it will inevitably be the case - of Asiatic and semi-barbarian populations, even if it is in the form of cheap workforce from Anatolia to the Greek islands and also to the Greek hinterland, something which will result in a gradual change of the native population to the extent that the other peoples will be informed about Greece from school or from historical books" (A.T. 15). Typical as to how the "barbarian image" of Turkey is perceived and accepted by the Greeks, is a text by P. Boukalas in K. (20). "Before we even began to be taught history, the state-made version of history anyway, before we even decided as Olympiakos fans that our eternal enemy is Panathinaikos fans (and vice-versa) we have been seized by the unshakable conviction that our eternal national enemy is the Turks, despite the fact that much more often we used to hear about the - fresh as yet - evils inflicted by the Germans and the Italians."

The media react against Gligorov’s statements on the existence of a MACEDONIAN minority in Greece. "[F]or three whole days the Greek authorities in the prefecture of Florina have been negotiating (in the full meaning of the word) with some persons self-styled ‘Macedonians’ of the area, as to which songs will be heard during the annual feast which takes place in Meliti. Eventually the negotiation ended in a (seeming) draw, since the musical group of the Association was compelled to not perform ‘Renowned Macedonia, Alexandros’ land’, so that ‘Greeks get out of Macedonia’ will not be heard in counteraction. The official authorities refused to react, but there was a spontaneous reaction by some inhabitants of Meliti who were there and (correctly) considered the action as an offense towards their national convictions. In any case, the situation will get worse year in year out, since not only have the Skopje agents grown insolent but also Gligorov himself, as he violates openly even the Interim Agreement, and now crudely raises an issue about a ‘Macedonian minority’." (E.T. 27). With regard to the TURKISH minority in Thrace, an energetic ‘mobility’ appears in the Greek press on the forthcoming repeal of Art. 19 of the Greek Citizenship Law. E.T. (29) estimates that "the regaining of the Greek identity by the numerous Muslims who have been living outside Greece for years and most of them have completely forgotten the (...) place of their origin, will allow them to be able to come to Greece and vote in elections, buy with the financial assistance of Ankara whatever they want in the area, so that, in a few years, this border area will completely change its character to the benefit of the expansionist aims of Turkey which are that Thrace gets its autonomy."

After the "sweep-operations" carried out by the Greek Police against ALBANIAN illegal immigrants the media call for self-control. "All the Albanian illegal immigrants in our country are not ‘Mafiosi’ as the latter constitute an insignificant minority... The thousands upon thousands of Albanians who toil for a day’s wages of four or five thousand drachmas, far from being criminals, they are the most frequent victims of their ‘Mafiosi’ fellow-countrymen." (N. 23); "The ‘sweep-operations’ and the other police measures yield no results, if these are not preceded by political decisions and measures of social sensitivity for the working people... Nothing can justify the hysteria, the anathemas and the generalizations which lead to inhuman ‘sweep-operations’, to manhandling and to barbarous behaviors." (El. 22).

Guide to Newspaper initials: Ad.T. = Adesmeftos Typos (center-right); Ap. = Apogevmatini (center-right); E.T. = Eleftheros Typos (center-right); El = Eleftherotypia (center-left); Eth. = Ethnos (center-left); Exousia (center-left) = Ex.; N. = Nea (center-left); V. = Vima (center-left, Sunday equivalent to Nea)

The victory of the Socialists in the general elections in ALBANIA receive a common negative response from the Turkish press. Another interesting thing is the frequent coverage of the Albanian royal family, and the items alleging a popular support for the restoration of the monarchy in Albania. "Terrorism wins in Albania; the monarchists and the Democratic Party declared the poll a Communist coup" (YS, 2); "the loser in the Albanian elections is Turkey; It is not consequential that the Socialists (former Communists), the rebels, and the gangs with machine guns have won the Albanian poll. I do not think that these elections would be able to restore peace in Albania. In truth, the victors of the poll are Greece and especially Serbia, each seeking to divide the country. And the loser is Turkey. Berisha and his party were defenders of the multiparty system, desiring to see mosques built in every village, exhorting the Muslims (at least 70 percent of the population) to follow the Sunnite [i.e., orthodox] Islamic creed, and opposing the Wahhabite and Shiite propaganda. And besides, he was a fervent friend of Turks. He was so much one of us that he would take our advice for any step he takes." (T, 7)

The visit of BULGARIAN President Stoyanov to Turkey is widely covered by the Turkish papers, stressing the cultural affinities between the two countries. "Our doors are always wide open to the Turks; the Communist administration’s policy of changing the family names of the ethnic Turks during the 80’s was one of the most disgraceful pages in Bulgarian history; Bulgaria’s apology appreciated" (S, 31); "The young President Stoyanov is a moderate, reasonable and realist leader who tries, together with Premier Ivan Kostov, to take Bulgaria out of the deep crisis she is in. He vehemently criticizes the Communist past and believes that the only hope for his country lies in democracy." (Z, 29)

A July document of accord signed in Madrid between Turkish President Demirel and GREEK Premier Simitis becomes the main topic on the press agenda as regards Greece. "A climate of peace in Madrid" (Z, 9); "A historical deal for the Aegean" (S, 9); "Such a document cannot have a content that may affect either the Turkish or the Greek position. However, especially considering that the perception of the US is in this direction, Turkey can exert pressure via this channel in order to force Greece to enter into extensive negotiations on the Aegean disputes, on the grounds of a peace offensive laid by Turkey herself." (YY, 18) Though the document is commonly welcomed by the dailies as a signal of a prospective improvement in the bilateral relations, new stories are run about the so-called complicity between Athens and the PKK and about a group of PASOK deputies supporting the latter. "Basing its position on the saying that ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend,’ Greece is supporting all kinds of activities that may be detrimental to Turkey, including subversive and secessionist currents and movements." (M, 2); "Greece wants to divide Turkey. She is behind all scenarios designed to destroy the Turkish state and to divide Turkey. Members of the PKK are trained by Greek army generals and officers." (T, 25) Equally strong is the response of the Turkish papers following the reaction of the Greek press against the July visit to the Turkish sector of Cyprus paid by Turkish Vice-Premier Bulent Ecevit, Prime Minister in the government which ordered the 1974 military intervention in Cyprus. "The goal of the Greek Cypriots and Greece is apparent - to transform Cyprus into a Greek island like Crete. They consider the Turks [living on the island] a minority and an enemy, so the deportation, assimilation and annihilation of the Turks is their national goal." (T, 26)

Though the "flag crisis" in MACEDONIA was previously associated by the Turkish papers with the "increasing voice of the ethnic Turks" in that country, in July it became a reason to blame the Albanian minority for the "[P]rovocation hatched up against the Turks in Macedonia; the incidents [the clashes between ethnic Albanians, who had flown Albanian and Turkish flags, and the Macedonian police] had nothing to do with the Turks." (T, 26)

The rulings of the international tribunal on war crimes in July incited the Turkish media to revive the theme of the "SERBIAN butcher." "NATO is hunting for the Serbian murderer" (Z, 11); "The British in a close embrace with the Serbs; the British government revives its relations with criminal Bosnian leaders who are liable in the first degree for the barbaric massacre of the Muslims in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995." (YS, 2)

There are very few items related to the minorities living in Turkey. "Behind the shallow official rhetoric that labels everyone as a ‘citizen,’ non-Muslims [in Turkey] are sentenced to a deliberate unequal treatment both as a community and as individuals. In a country where ‘secularism’ is a source of boast, and where it is proudly declared on every occasion that everybody who feels as a ‘Turk’ is considered a ‘Turk,’ the non-Muslims are denied employment to many government offices. Besides, this exclusionist attitude against the non-Muslims does not stem from the religion [of Islam], which is considered ‘backward’ by nature, as the cases of Egypt and Iraq attest. No matter how it is presented as the product of modernity, official identity of Turkey imposed on society does not display an inclusive function, but an exclusive one." (Radikal)