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Ladies
and Gentlemen,
Let
me thank you for giving me the opportunity to address you on behalf of
the Imvrian Association of Athens, which was founded in 1945 and has
2000 registered refugees.
Exclusively
Greeks have inhabited Imvros and Tenedos since the down of history.
These Aegean islands, in 1923 were ceded to Turkey under the Treaty of
Lausanne for strategic reasons. Thus geography prevailed over ethnic
considerations and the almost exclusively Greek population of the
islands came under Turkish control. The authors of the Treaty
recognized the ethnic Greek character of the inhabitants and placed
safeguards for the protection of the islanders from the human rights
abuses.
In
1964 under a secret decree of the National Security Council of Turkey,
the Greek community of Imvros and Tenedos were subjected to an
ethnic-cleansing program. As a result, of the over 6000 Greeks living
in Imvros in 1964, there are today only 220. By contrast the 290 Turks
of Imvros increased to 9000, almost all of them settlers from mainland
Turkey transported in order to transform the demographic composition
of Imvros. A similar situation exists in Tenedos where there were 2500
Greeks in the 1960s and today there are merely 22 old age persons left
behind. It is not coincidental that during this period the Turkish
authorities changed even the names of the islands, which appeared in
the Treaty of Lausanne. Thus, Imvros became Gokceada and Tenedos
Bozcaada.
I
hope that in this point the Turkish Delegation will not use the same
argument as in the past, concerning the massive settlement of mainland
Turks in Imvros, that Imvros is Turkey thus they are not settlers. I
will remind you that they are settling them on expropriated land taken
away from the native people. On summer they have completed a new
village on one of the most fertile areas of Imvros, where they will
settle Turks from Bulgaria.
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The denial of the Greek
language education in the island is still existing.
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The application of a new
land survey registry, which was designed to deprive the native Imvrian
Greeks from their last remaining properties, is still existing.
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Our lands expropriated
for so called ‘’national reasons’’ are still given today to
anyone but to their rightful owners.
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Our return to the island
on summer is still a return of tourists and no a return of native
people that have the possibility to resettle on their expropriated
properties and leave in security enjoying equal rights.
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Our right to inherit
homes and land from our parents doesn’t exist for those that for
different reasons they don’t have anymore their Turkish nationality.
Let me remind you that there is no such low in any country of the
European Community.
In
a period that Turkey wants to join the European Union as a truly
democratic state, she should acknowledge and correct the wrongs it has
inflicted on the Greek population of Imvros and Tenedos.
Mr.
Moderator,
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
On
behalf of all Imvrians around the world that were forced to become
refugees, we are asking for the active support of the O.S.C.E. to
return to our island under the regime provided by the article 14 of
the Treaty of Lausanne.
Thank
you for your attention.
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