Zografion high school, Turkish Minority high schools and Eid prayers in Thessaloniki
A news published in a local newspaper in Meriç province attracted our attention.
On 20 March, the news published in the newspaper Elefteri Thraki (Free Thrace) was about the visit of the students of the 6th primary school of Alexandroupoli to Istanbul. It is not a minority primary school, don't misunderstand, it is a state school.
According to the newspaper, the students of the 6th Primary School of Alexandroupoli travelled to Istanbul to participate in the 11th Festival of Choirs and Traditional Dances held at the Istanbul Greek High School Zografion.
It is even mentioned how they were "warmly" welcomed by journalist Manolis Kostidis, the Turkish representative of the famous SKAİ TV (Greek from Istanbul).
According to the report, the primary school students from Alexandroupoli mesmerised the participants with their performance at the event.
In the news article, the sentence "Zografion High School is an important institution that maintains its communication and relations with associations, cultural and educational institutions in Greece" is also important in our opinion.
We have no intention of denying it. They are telling the truth.
The news report continues that the students visited the Patriarchate and met with Patriarch Bartholomew. Photographs of the visit are shared. It is quite natural and normal.
Primary school students from Alexandroupoli had an emotional visit to Istanbul. How happy for them...
This article was written by a person named M.K.
After reading this news, the following came to mind!
I DON'T KNOW!..
If a group of 20 students from a well-established and prestigious high school in Türkiye wants to come to Komotini or Xanthi! Can they come? As tourists... Of course, they can come all over Greece by obtaining a Greek visa.
Can they come to carnivals, old town events or music festivals? Yes, yes, of course.
Can they come to the liberation of Komotini events? Well, maybe yes.
Can they take part in a cultural or musical event of an organisation in Kavala, Thessaloniki, Halkidiki or anywhere else in Greece, except Western Thrace? Yes, yes, of course! Even with great pleasure...
What if this group of Turkish Citizen TURKISH STUDENTS wants to take part in a joint activity with a class of the Minority High School of Komotini Celal Bayar and the Minority High School of Xanthi...
Or if he wants to sign a FELLOW SCHOOL agreement with these schools...
Any chance of that happening?
I say clearly and unequivocally, NOT for today!
Why?
I assure you, as in many other matters, "I am not responsible, ask his permission." When you go to him, he says, "I don't know. Ask him." When you go to him, he says, "I don't know, ask him." And he says, "Let me ask the person above me." This process takes not one, not two, but months. In this way, they harass you and the permission will never come. And you give up!
Or, if he wants to organise a theatre performance in partnership with the Xanthi Minority High School... Do you think that the indoor theatre hall of Xanthi Municipality, the only theatre hall of Xanthi with a high audience capacity, which belongs to Xanthi Municipality and for which the Cultural Development Company of Xanthi Municipality is responsible, will be allocated?
NO WAY! We can write so clearly. NO!
Does anyone claim otherwise?
The same tactics are used here too, and in the end you will be harassed again and will NOT be allowed to leave!
A friend of ours tells this story:
"Brother, I found a job after long endeavours. The employer told me, 'First, get a tax number. Then go to the bank, get an account number and let's sign a contract and I will hire you. Brother, I went to the Ministry of Finance: I said, "I want to get a tax number." He first said, "We want an address and a bank account number. Then we can give you the tax number.' I have the address, okay. I left there and rushed to the bank. I told the bank officer that I wanted to open an account. The first question he asked me was, 'Do you have a tax number? I said no. Then go and get a tax number, then come and open an account. I was so confused. The officer at the finance office says bring me a bank account number and I will give you a tax number, and the bank officer says bring me a tax number and I will open an account for you. I think they are mocking me. What am I going to do now?" he said and complained.
If this is Greece, if this is Western Thrace and you are a Turk, this is how you are treated. Unfortunately, this is the reality...
Take a sample of the bank account and tax number, copy and paste them in all authorised transactions of the members of the Muslim Turkish Minority of Western Thrace with state offices. Believe me, you will always come to the same conclusion!....
So how will it change?
This has to change radically. It has to change in the head, in the mind. And that takes years. I don't know if our lifespan is enough.
EID PRAYER IN THESSALONIKI
Those who left the Muslim Turks in Thessaloniki without a mosque for years, have now announced that they have allocated the mosque for Eid prayers, in order to look cute and to be implemented only as they wish.
Who is hiding whose property from whom. Who gives to whom? Oh great God, what a time we have come to... We are living in a period when we cannot enter the temples that our ancestors bequeathed to us and cannot worship...
