by Christianna Loupa
Where shall I start from? Unfortunately, there is no start, no end. Of course, I am talking about the recently renewed webpage of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that started an official and open multi - front attack on Greece.
Want to form your own opinion? Just enter the following site: Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then Foreign Policy> Regions> European Countries> EU Members> Greece. Here we are! You can surf among the chapters - areas of dispute between the two countries - concerning the most delicate subjects. WARNING: You’d better not enter this site before bedtime. You’re in serious danger to lose your sleep!
Let’s start from the chapter “Turkish minority of Western Thrace”. Please notice that the term “Turkish” is used instead of “Muslim”. One can read here: “In breach of its international obligations and its own constitution, Greece has been pursuing discriminatory policies against the Turkish Minority in many aspects of their lives.
The ongoing repression they face in the field of education and religion particularly affects the lives of the Minority members. The members of the Minority lack the opportunity to educate their children properly. School buildings are in bad condition and it is not allowed to construct new school buildings. Qualified teachers are scarce. Only a limited number of students are admitted to Minority schools”.
The most suitable persons to give an answer are Mrs. Anna Fragouthaki and Mrs. Thaleia Dragona, responsible for the Program for the Education of Muslim children in Thrace, since 1997 and working in the region for the Minority Schools Coordination Office: “… There has been a spectacular change concerning the participation of children in schools. The number of Junior High School students has been quadruplicated since 1997 and recently Senior High School students have been increased even more and very fast. In addition, an incredible increase of girls’ participation in education has taken place during the last ten years…
[In 1997], we reached the conclusion that 65% of the [Muslim] children did not finish High School, while in the rest of the country this percentage was not more than 7%... This number was huge and meant the majority of the population remained illiterate. Nowadays, one is considered as illiterate, if one has finished only Elementary School… Things have become spectacularly better now, as the rate of children not finishing High School is estimated to have decreased to 30-35%.
And one more thing. Usually, in societies these changes do not take place from one moment to another. It takes one or two generations for these rates to change so dramatically. On the contrary, in our case, there is a spectacular change every five years… These days, 75% of the children choose public high schools rather than minority ones. From the moment the State has reserved a percentage of the total number of students admitted in tertiary education, for the minority children, a longstanding expectation has come true, as revealed by numbers. A lot of the minority families’ dream has been fulfilled: their children to be studying in a Greek University”.
Thus, Mrs. Dragona points out: “The change is impressive, indeed, particularly concerning the participation of the minority members in the Program. As a matter of fact, majority and minority members co-operate and work on the same project. For the time being, 50% of our co-operates belong to the minority”.
Please, bear in mind, that in minority schools, both Greek and Turkish are taught by two teachers, while imams are employed (and paid by the Greek State) to teach Religions. In addition, ten Centres of Educational Support have been established especially for these students, in order to have supplementary teaching hours, the two of which are mobile units.
By the way, we wonder if the “neighbour” - for whom “reciprocity” is an unknown word - would be kind enough to give us some explanations about the Christian minority of Turkey, that has almost gone extinct, because of the ongoing prosecutions, while the Muslim minority of Thrace keeps increasing.
As far as the contradiction to our own Constitution is concerned, according to the webpage, there is one certain thing: in case there is a contradiction, that is because of the application of Sharia law (Islam’s legal system) in Thrace, which automatically creates first and second - class citizens, in contravention to the principle of equality of men and women before the law, as stated in Greek Constitution.
A reasonable question nevertheless, comes up: What is Turkey taking aim at and decided to proceed in all these dramatic and non - diplomatic changes in its statements and demands? Why has it made up its mind to change the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at this very moment? Does the South Stream gas pipeline, which will link Russia with the European Union via Greece, have to do with all these? Who is hiding behind this awkward situation, pulling the strings, disturbing the development of good neighborly relations and putting in danger the delicate balance between the two countries?
To be continued…
Where shall I start from? Unfortunately, there is no start, no end. Of course, I am talking about the recently renewed webpage of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that started an official and open multi - front attack on Greece.
Want to form your own opinion? Just enter the following site: Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then Foreign Policy> Regions> European Countries> EU Members> Greece. Here we are! You can surf among the chapters - areas of dispute between the two countries - concerning the most delicate subjects. WARNING: You’d better not enter this site before bedtime. You’re in serious danger to lose your sleep!
Let’s start from the chapter “Turkish minority of Western Thrace”. Please notice that the term “Turkish” is used instead of “Muslim”. One can read here: “In breach of its international obligations and its own constitution, Greece has been pursuing discriminatory policies against the Turkish Minority in many aspects of their lives.
The ongoing repression they face in the field of education and religion particularly affects the lives of the Minority members. The members of the Minority lack the opportunity to educate their children properly. School buildings are in bad condition and it is not allowed to construct new school buildings. Qualified teachers are scarce. Only a limited number of students are admitted to Minority schools”.
The most suitable persons to give an answer are Mrs. Anna Fragouthaki and Mrs. Thaleia Dragona, responsible for the Program for the Education of Muslim children in Thrace, since 1997 and working in the region for the Minority Schools Coordination Office: “… There has been a spectacular change concerning the participation of children in schools. The number of Junior High School students has been quadruplicated since 1997 and recently Senior High School students have been increased even more and very fast. In addition, an incredible increase of girls’ participation in education has taken place during the last ten years…
[In 1997], we reached the conclusion that 65% of the [Muslim] children did not finish High School, while in the rest of the country this percentage was not more than 7%... This number was huge and meant the majority of the population remained illiterate. Nowadays, one is considered as illiterate, if one has finished only Elementary School… Things have become spectacularly better now, as the rate of children not finishing High School is estimated to have decreased to 30-35%.
And one more thing. Usually, in societies these changes do not take place from one moment to another. It takes one or two generations for these rates to change so dramatically. On the contrary, in our case, there is a spectacular change every five years… These days, 75% of the children choose public high schools rather than minority ones. From the moment the State has reserved a percentage of the total number of students admitted in tertiary education, for the minority children, a longstanding expectation has come true, as revealed by numbers. A lot of the minority families’ dream has been fulfilled: their children to be studying in a Greek University”.
Thus, Mrs. Dragona points out: “The change is impressive, indeed, particularly concerning the participation of the minority members in the Program. As a matter of fact, majority and minority members co-operate and work on the same project. For the time being, 50% of our co-operates belong to the minority”.
Please, bear in mind, that in minority schools, both Greek and Turkish are taught by two teachers, while imams are employed (and paid by the Greek State) to teach Religions. In addition, ten Centres of Educational Support have been established especially for these students, in order to have supplementary teaching hours, the two of which are mobile units.
By the way, we wonder if the “neighbour” - for whom “reciprocity” is an unknown word - would be kind enough to give us some explanations about the Christian minority of Turkey, that has almost gone extinct, because of the ongoing prosecutions, while the Muslim minority of Thrace keeps increasing.
As far as the contradiction to our own Constitution is concerned, according to the webpage, there is one certain thing: in case there is a contradiction, that is because of the application of Sharia law (Islam’s legal system) in Thrace, which automatically creates first and second - class citizens, in contravention to the principle of equality of men and women before the law, as stated in Greek Constitution.
A reasonable question nevertheless, comes up: What is Turkey taking aim at and decided to proceed in all these dramatic and non - diplomatic changes in its statements and demands? Why has it made up its mind to change the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at this very moment? Does the South Stream gas pipeline, which will link Russia with the European Union via Greece, have to do with all these? Who is hiding behind this awkward situation, pulling the strings, disturbing the development of good neighborly relations and putting in danger the delicate balance between the two countries?
To be continued…
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