GreekNewsBlog: johnmetaxas.com

ARCHIVES

Vol. 3, #1

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Wisdom from New Delhi

Excerpts from Assyrian International News Agency:

Priyadarsi Dutta is based in New Delhi, India

By Priyadarsi Dutta

(AINA) -- On the eve of 554th anniversary of the fall of Constantinople to Turks, the Turkish Daily News has published the findings of a sample survey, which reveals that a large section of Greeks still believe that Turkey is Greece under Muslim occupation. Greek Political and Research Centre (KPPE) had conducted a sample survey amongst 2,000 Greeks between March 22 and 31, 2007 on the question whether there are still some Hellenic lands waiting upon liberation beyond present Greece's border.

***

This reflects a clash between sentiments and pragmatism. But somewhere we can only mourn the great tragedy of Hellenic history, which Greece has overcome but not forgotten. There is no getting away from the fact that Turkey (Eastern Thrace and Asia Minor) is Hellenic, later Byzantine land, under Turkish occupation. Turks, unlike Greeks, are not Mediterranean people. The Turks were plain invaders from central Asia who showed up in the region some thirty years before the First Crusade. The Byzantine Empire lost most of Asia Minor to Turks in battle of Manzikert (August 26, 1071).

***

This is all history, and no doubt a great amount of Greek sentiment is attached to Asia Minor. Constantinople, the Holy City, of Eastern Orthodoxy, will be to Greek souls what marrow is to a Greek body. Yet, we have to accept the verdict of history. Greeks should be happy about what they recovered and not merely rue what they lost out permanently.

CLICK TO READ MORE.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Ecumenical Patriarch on upcoming elections in Turkey

From ANA:

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos on Monday appeared optimistic that general elections in Turkey on July 22 "will lead to a solution of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's problems."

"We hope and pray that after the formation of a new government in Ankara there will be spectacular and radical changes in this direction," the Patriarch said after officiating at a service at the Aghia Triada (Holy Trinity) Cathedral here on the occasion of the Holy Trinity feast day.

Addressing pilgrims from Greece, members of Istanbul's dwindling ethnic Greek community and to Euro-MPs of the Greens Party visiting Turkey, the Patriarch stressed that "we are not asking anything more than the self-evident, the ease and full freedom to exercise our religious duties.

"We want there to be complete freedom in our lives for our minority rights, as is happening with our Muslim brothers in Germany and in other European countries where they are continuously building new mosques without any restriction whatsoever, participating in local government and are elected deputies in the corresponding (European countries') parliaments," Vartholomeos said.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Kathimerini's take on Turkish crisis

From Kathimerini:

The political crisis in Turkey is spiraling out of control. Observers of the Turkish scene are alarmed by the bomb attack in the center of Ankara. Veteran diplomats believe it is almost certain that it marks the start of a period of destabilization in which shadowy power centers will do battle for their very survival. Greece has every reason to worry, for Turkey has a long history of exporting its domestic crises – with painful results, for Cyprus or the Aegean. Athens has done well to support Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Not because he has brought any real changes to Turkish foreign policy but because he represents his country’s most pro-European force. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has conveyed the message to his counterpart that it would be expedient to avoid any possibility of a crisis as both countries enter a pre-election period. All exigencies must be avoided so that no – unaccountable – Turkish power center can provoke a crisis in Greek-Turkish relations.

Saturday, May 26, 2007:

Queens College names Marinis as first Kallinikeion Professor

The Queens College Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies has named Dr. Vasileios Marinis as the first Kallinikeion Professor in Byzantine studies at the program.

The announcement was made by Dr. James L. Muyskens, the President of Queens College, at the Center's 29th annual Achievement Awards Dinner this Thursday.

The chair was established substantially by a gift from the New York-based Kallinikeion Foundation. Dr. Marinis had already been teaching at Queens College as an adjunct professor.

At the Thursday evening ceremonies, the Constantine D. Paparrigopoulos Lecture was delivered by Dr. Helen C. Evans, the Mary and Michael Jaharis Curator of Byzantine Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dr. Evans spoke on "The Coming of Age of Byzantine Studies."

The Center's Director is Dr. Christos Ioannides, who is a frequent contributor to this blog.

Thursday, May 24, 2007:

From PRWEB:

Raptakis Meets with Key Officials in Washington to Ensure Continued U.S. Support for Finalizing Liberty Ship Project

Coventry, RI (PRWEB) May 23, 2007 -- Rhode Island State Senator Leonidas Raptakis, who has been leading an effort to secure the donation of the last remaining Liberty Ship to the Greek government for use as a floating museum, held a series of meetings in Washington last week with top federal officials to move toward completion of the Liberty Ship project. Raptakis said that after meeting with Congressional leaders and officials from the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the effort to secure the donation of the Arthur M. Huddell, the last surviving Liberty Ship, is on track pending the completion of environmental tests and developing any necessary cleanup plan for the vessel.

"This was an important series of meetings, which I organized to make sure that the United States government understands that there is broad support for this project in the US and in Greece," said Raptakis. "As long as the Greek government maintains its clear commitment to supporting this effort, I believe we will receive the assistance we need from the US government agencies to advance the donation of the Huddell to Greece."

CLICK TO CONTINUE.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007:

From Kathimerini:

MEMORIAL UNVEILED

Warning to Turkey as bust of fallen pilot is revealed on Crete

A bust of Flight Lieutenant Costas Iliakis, who was killed during a mock dogfight with a Turkish fighter jet last year, was unveiled in his hometown of Hania, Crete, yesterday as Deputy Defense Minister Vassilis Michaloliakos urged Turkey to help reduce the tension over the Aegean. “Greece supports Turkey’s progress toward the European Union but this path must pass through total respect for international law and the EU’s accession criteria,” said Michaloliakos. He added that Greece’s armed forces remain ready to confront every “challenge or threat.”

Tuesday May 22, 2007:

From Athens News Agency:

US House Reps cite Ecumenical Patriarchate crisis

    A record number of members of the US House of Representatives' influential foreign affairs committee have signed a letter -- composed by chairman Tom Lantos and ranking Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen -- regarding the long-standing crisis facing the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate and Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.

    The letter, sent to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan, addresses the Turkish state's policies that, unless changed, "will terminate this Sacred See wherein much of the Bible was codified and the Creeds created," according to Anthony Limberakis, the head of the Order of St. Andrew, an organisation of America's leading Orthodox Christian faithful.

    The letter, signed by 42 of the 50 committee members, states:

    "The Ecumenical Patriarchate -- the Sacred See, which has served the world-wide Christian community since its establishment by the Apostle Andrew nearly 2,000 years ago -- will disappear in the foreseeable future, unless Turkey changes its policies. We urge you, in friendship and respect, to do everything possible to preserve the Ecumenical Patriarchate and to end all restrictions on its religious freedom".

    The letter follows, by less than a month, the torture and murder in central Turkey of three publishers because they printed copies of the Bible in the predominately Muslim EU hopeful. It also follows, by several months, the murder in Turkey of a Roman Catholic priest while in prayer.

    Moreover, it comes on the heels of an accelerated campaign by the Turkish government to confiscate Ecumenical Patriarchal properties. Currently, more than 75 percent of its properties have been taken without compensation, Limberakis said.

CLICK TO CONTINUE.

Monday, May 21, 2007:

From VOA News:

Presidential candidates Biden, Clinton, McCain and Obama address Hellenic issues

By George Bistis

Washington 20-05-2007

U.S. Presidential candidates, Joseph Biden (D-DE), Hillary Clinton (D-NY) John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL), spoke to a group of Greek American leaders who participated in the 23rd Annual Cyprus, Hellenic and Orthodox Issues Conference, held Thursday and Friday, May 17-18, in Washington, D.C. The three democratic presidential hopefuls addressed the conferees in person while Senator McCain, who was on the road, greeted them through a telephone hookup. All four discussed issues of particular concern to this 1.3 million strong ethnic constituency and outlined plans for making America a greater nation and the world a safer place.

It was the first time that more than one presidential candidate participated in the same ethnic event prior party election primaries and caucuses and the first time that the candidates provided in some detail their views on two U.S. foreign policy issues that are of paramount importance to the Greek American community.

CLICK TO READ MORE. CLICK YOUR BROWSER'S "BACK" BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE.