Turkish deputies of the Greek parliament requested a monumental tomb for minority martyrs

Deputies Burhan Baran, Hüseyin Zeybek and İlhan Ahmet requested a memorial grave for Western Thracian Turkish minority soldiers who were martyred on the Albanian front in the second world war. Deputies sent letters to Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and National Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos to convey the request.

In the letter sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias and Minister of National Defense Nikos Panayotopulos by Turkish Minority deputies, referring the bilateral agreement signed between Greece and Albania in 2009 for the honor of Greek soldiers who died in the Albanian front in World War II, They called for the need to respect the cherished memories of the soldiers of the minority who were martyred in the defense of the country on behalf of Greece.

Deputies stated that the burial process of 193 soldiers in Klisura Military Cemetery in Albania on 19 November 2019, in accordance with the agreement signed between 1940 - 1941 about the search for Greek soldiers who lost their lives in the operations in Albania, the opening of their graves, their identification and re-burials, started to be implemented on 22 January 2018. They noted that it was carried out with a religious and military ceremony held in. 

On the other hand, minority deputies who reminded that according to the archive documents of the Land Forces Command there were many minority members from Meriç, İskeçe and Rhodope provinces in the clashes between Greece and Italy between 1940 and 1941, The presence of soldiers belonging to the Western Thrace minority, who lost, was recorded, and accordingly, it was determined that most of them were martyred on the Albanian front. 

MONUMENT REQUEST FOR OUR MARTYUR SOLDIERS 

Deputies said, “In the area mentioned above and allocated for Greek soldiers, it is our duty to make a monument to honor minority soldiers who have lost their lives in the front, not forgetting their contribution and sacrifices to the struggle for the defense of Greece”. 

“On the other hand, in 2018, it was decided by the government of the period to allocate four decares of land to expand the Klisura Military Cemetery near Permedi”. 

“It is our belief that within these possibilities, a similar monument to the memory of minority soldiers will be an extremely positive step to take”. 

“In addition, it is important to organize the opening ceremony of the monument in accordance with the Islamic basis as well as the observance of our customs and traditions”. 

Deputies also expressed their belief that the request in the letter will be evaluated positively.