Should Hellas (Greece) block Skopje’s European Union membership bid?

With no solution in sight to the ongoing name dispute between Athens and Skopje, the question as to whether or not Skopje should be allowed membership into the European Union has now appeared. Is Skopje ready to join with the rest of Civilized Europe inside the EU? In my opinion, the answer is clearly no. What has Skopje done to deserve consideration?

What about Skopje’s Human Rights abuses towards its Albanian and Roma minorities? Is this how a modern Democracy and potential European Union member treats its minorities? What about Skopje’s denial of its indigenous Macedonian population in Pelagonia and its refusal to allow them to openly proclaim their Hellenic identity? Again this doesn’t sound like the type of potential member that civilized Europe should be interested in letting into their organization.

Skopje’s Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki told Reuters today,

"The only shift was for the worse in their (Greek) attitude. They have toughened their position. We are concerned of a possibility of a second Greek blockade related to our opening EU accession talks"

What does he expect when Skopje continues their Anti-Hellenic propaganda and revisionist campaign towards Hellas? Naming their roads, stadiums and airports after ancient Hellenic heroes like Alexander the Great and his father Philip the Second. How should Hellas react when Skopje still flies the WIPO-protected Hellenic Vergina Sun Flag inside their borders, both inside and outside the Boris Trajkovski Sports stadium, as well as still displaying the symbol on the Makedonska Kamenica Municipality flag? Skopje can continue playing games and abusing its ethnic and indigenous minorities, they just shouldn’t expect EU membership to be waiting for them. In my opinion the only option before Hellas is to block Skopje’s EU membership. It is the morally right thing to do.

Puppet Government of Turkish Occupied Cyprus threatens permanent division

Mehmet Ali Talat, the so-called ‘president’ of the illegal Turkish occupied part of Cyprus threaten recently that if a settlement could not be reached between the legitimate Government of Cyprus and his illegitimate regime, that the possibility of permanent division would become much stronger.

“The talks cannot go on forever; there will be a point when we will say ‘enough.’ As there is an end to everything, if the talks cannot be successful, the process will collapse by itself,” said Talat.

What Talat fails to realize is that he is in no position to dictate anything as he is nothing more than a figurehead of an illegally occupied part of a European Union member. There is no ‘Turkish Cypriot President’ because there is no ‘Turkish Cyprus”. There is only the legitimate Government of the Island, whose northern territory is under foreign occupation. If Talat wants to bring about a peaceful solution to the situation in Cyprus, he should first push for the removal of all occupying forces and settlers. Second he should allow the return of all Cypriot refugees who were forced to leave their homes due to the illegal Turkish military offensive. Lastly he should join with the legitimate authorities of Cyprus in pushing for those responsible for the occupation to be tried for war crimes. This and only this will bring about peace and justice to this small island nation. If not, it should be the legitimate Government of Cyprus, making threats of taking up arms and physically removing the occupying forces from their soil.

Athens Vs Skopje: Macedonian Name Dispute continues amidst ethnic Albanian tensions

In the most recent meeting between Hellenic officials and Matthew Nimitz, Hellenic Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis informed Mr. Nimitz that Hellas could not accept the most recent proposal from Skopje. The name proposed by Skopje’s Ambassador – “Republic of North Macedonia”, would only be used in bilateral communication between Athens and Skopje falling short of the Hellenic Government’s position, which is for the new name to be used worldwide. Meanwhile tension flared between ethnic Albanians and Slavs over the partial implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, leading to the Democratic Party of Albanians walking out of parliament on Monday. This incident was not alone, as racial tensions exploded between Slavs and Albanians in Skopje the night before.

Although I rejoice over the Hellenic Government’s decision to reject Mr. Nimitz’s recent ideas. I am still worried over Athens obsession with the geographic qualifier, which leads me to believe that it is up to us, the average Hellene, to defend our identity and history. As it seems that the puppet government in Athens has no intentions of defending the Macedonian Legacy of Hellenism. What the international community fails to understand is that the dispute between Athens and Skopje is not just about a name, it is about the very identity in which the Slavs of Skopje wish to claim for themselves, an identity that already belongs to Hellenism. Why Athens hasn’t exploited the rising ethnic tensions between Albanians and Slavs inside Skopje boggles my mind. If Athens were to bring ethnic Albanians into our camp over the name issue, both Hellenes and Albanians would be able achieve justice. Albanians could use the name issue as bargaining chip for them to receive their rights agreed to them in the Ohrid Agreement. If ethnic Albanians came to this realization than the Slavs of Skopje would have no choice but to give up their Anti-Hellenic propaganda and Stalinist Revisionism.

Athens, Skopje stalling on Macedonia name
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DPA walks out of Macedonian parliament
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Massive clashes between Macedonians and Albanians in Skopje
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Ethnic Pontian Pilgrimage faces set back in Trabzon

Days after the Turkish Prime Minister promised change towards religious minorities, ethnic Pontians from Russia and Hellas were met with a reminder that change doesn’t happen overnight. A heroic group of roughly 500 Hellenes, including the Thessaloniki Gov. Panayotis Psomyadis and Russian Parliamentarian Ivan Savidis, were denied the right to light candles and pray outside the former ethnic Pontian Sumela Monastery. As seen below, Museum Director, Nilgun Yilmazer, prevented the group from continuing their ceremony.



The Director informed the group that it was apparently against the law to perform a ‘religious ceremony’ outside a museum in Turkey. The group of ethnic Pontian Hellenes was later forbidden from entering the nearby town center. In response to the incident, Turkish Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin had the following remarks, “It is forbidden to perform religious rites in these places even if the place belongs to Muslims. We cannot accept non-Muslim residents of Turkey or tourists misusing these places. Everybody has to obey the rules of the country they are visiting. It is not suitable for a civilized person to push the limits here."

Mr. Speaker I’m pleased to hear that this law which bans religious rites at locations such as the former Sumela Monastery is not biased and also agree with you that everyone should and must obey the laws of the country in which they are visiting. However, in the wake of Prime Minister Erdogan’s surprise meeting with indigenous religious leaders. How are ethnic Hellenes with Turkish Citizenship suppose to feel ‘loved and respected’ when their religious centers inside their own country are closed to them? How are they supposed to feel safe when their spiritual and ethnic brothers and sisters are unwelcomed? If Prime Minister Erdogan and his administration were serious about turning over a new leaf, they should consider re-opening the Sumela Monastery to Orthodox Christians.

Trabzon official takes wind out of tourists' rites
Monday, August 17, 2009
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New Strategy for Macedonian Name Resolution: Still unacceptable

A new national strategy written by Skopjean MP Stojan Andov was announced last month by the FOSIM. The new suggested national strategy claims that the name problem between Athens and Skopje is a political, rather than legal issue. However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The name dispute between Athens and Skopje is much more than just a political or legal issue; it is a matter of historical revisionism. It is an issue of one nation attempting to steal another’s cultural and historical identity. The current name proposal, which is being circulated by the Anti-Hellenist Matthew Nimetz, is totally unacceptable as it allows for the continued identity theft of Macedonia from Hellenism. The “Republic of Northern Macedonia” is not a solution, but rather a victory for Skopje, which would allow for them to continue their irredentist and revisionist attacks on Hellenic history and territory.

Covering this story for Examiner.com was Lawrence Gist, a human rights attorney and current International Humanitarian law student at Harvard’s Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research. Perhaps what Mr. Gist’s professors at Harvard should be made aware of is that Stalinist Revisionism was not deemed acceptable during the Cold War nor should it be today. There is only one Macedonia and that is the Hellenic Province of Macedonia. The Macedonian people, those of Hellenic consciousness living inside the Hellenic Province of Macedonia, in the Hellenic Diaspora and in occupied Pelagonia are the only legitimate contenders to a Macedonian ethnic or national identity. Not the Bulgarian speaking, Marxist indoctrinated, Anti-Hellenists of Skopje. If the citizens of Skopje are so obsessed and taken by Hellenic History and its Macedonian legacy, perhaps they should adopt a Hellenic National Consciousness and make a clean break with their Soviet past.

Strategy for Resolution of Name Dispute Between the Republic of Greece and the Republic of Macedonia
August 16
By Lawrence Gist
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Erdogan ‘promises’ reform in Turkey towards Religious Minorities

He is not the first Turkish leader to attempt and woo the remaining indigenous minorities of Turkey with promises of change, yet in a surprise meeting with religious minority leaders, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan announced today that his administration was serious in bring about democratic reforms on issues important to indigenous Hellenes, Armenians, and other religious minorities.

The meeting took place on Prinkipos (commonly known today as Buyukada Island), the largest of nine islands referred to as the Princes’ Islands in the Marmara Sea, near Constantinople. Leaders from the Armenian, Jewish, Syriac Orthodox and Catholic communities, along with the Hellenic Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met with Erdogan and other Turkish Ministers. During a speech about broader reform reports claim that Erdogan was quoted in saying, “It is now for us essential to embrace all 71.5 million of this nation’s people in respect and love”.

Well Prime Minister Erdogan, I truly hope you and your administration are serious in your pledge to embrace all Turkish citizens, with respect and love. Unfortunately you have a long way to go until ethnic Hellenes can trust any promises you and your administration offer in the face of EU pressure. If you are serious, in bring about democratic reforms, perhaps you should consider recognizing the Hellenic, Armenian and Assyrians Genocides or developing a government program to allow expelled indigenous minorities to return to their historical homelands. Crack down on radical elements inside Turkish society like the Grey Wolves who promote Anti-Hellenic discrimination and hate to a new generation of Turkish Citizens. Change Turkey’s position on Cyprus and allow for justice to prevail. Prime Minister Erdogan, I welcome your promises on reform and possibly reopening the Halki Seminary, however, this is not enough if you truly hope to embrace the indigenous minorities of Turkey with respect and love. What is truly ‘essential’ is for Turkey to ‘man up’ to its past and enact real acts of reform, not just empty promises at surprise lunch meetings.

Turkish PM promises reform to religious minorities
By Ayla Jean Yackley
Reuters
Saturday, August 15, 2009; 3:13 PM
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I am an Indigenous Macedonian I am Greek