Reaction from Mehmet for the "Greek Pomaks"

The members of the Komotini Mountaineering Association, who defined the people of Kozlardere village as "Greek Pomaks", reacted to the members of the village's elected councilor, Mehmet Arif.

Yassıköy (Iasmos) Municipality Independent Assembly Member Mehmet Arif, who originally is from Kozlardere, reacted to the fact that the members of the Komotini Mountaineering Association used the expressions "Greek Pomaks" in the social media account of the association about their trip in the Kozladere village region.

Reacting to the sharing of the members of the association, Arif made a statement on the subject and stated:

“Dear friends!

I have been observing with great concern and unease lately that nationalist discourses have increased in our region and that a new behavior has been added to the behaviors targeting our minority every day. As a defender of minority individuals and our entire social structure, as well as their religious freedom, I declare that these unrealistic and provocative attacks and rhetoric are unacceptable.

As a result, the fact that some people do not want to accept our minority's characteristics, status, struggles, past and ongoing efforts to seek rights from the present to the future does not change these facts.

One of the reasons why I am writing these is that a mountaineering association named Kozlardere, one of our historical collar villages, as "Greek Pomaks", distorting the facts and mocking the sensitive feelings of our people in their social media accounts.

As Greek citizens of Western Thrace, this and similar situations cannot be accepted within the framework of our democratic rights. Nobody should doubt that those who try to create turmoil among the society and to give an artificial appearance to our Minority by claiming our centuries-old deep-rooted past, our peaceful lifestyle and our loyalty features will fail again in the end.”