1. Ankara accusa Atene di violare i diritti della minoranza musulmana. 2. The Greek Minority and its foundations in Istanbul, Gokceada (Imvros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos)

Il ministro degli Esteri turco Mevlut Cavusoglu ha criticato Atene per il mancato rispetto dei diritti della minoranza "turca" (sic) che vive in Grecia.

Secondo il capo della diplomazia turca, Ankara rispetta i diritti della minoranza greca, mentre Atene "fa il contrario.".......

Deputy FM Gerontopoulos meets with the Republic of Cyprus’s Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Affairs of Overseas Cypriots, Fotis Fotiou

Hellenic MFA, Wednesday, 10 December 2014:
"Deputy Foreign Minister Kyriakos Gerontopoulos met at the Foreign Ministry today, Wednesday, 10 December, with the Republic of Cyprus’s Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Affairs of Overseas Cypriots, Fotis Fotiou, and the Representative of the Greek Cypriot community to the Committee on Missing Persons, Nestoras Nestoros.

Boat driven by 15-year-old Turkish "captain" carrying 11 Afghans seized in Aegean Sea

Less than a week after a migrant boat disaster off of Istanbul’s coast, the Turkish Coast Guard seized a boat off the shores of the Aegean port of Bodrum carrying 11 Afghan refugees to the Greek island of Kos late on Nov. 5.

The “captain” driving the boat was only a 15-years-old boy, while another young man helping him was 17 years old, officials have said, adding that both were Turkish nationals.

The migrants who took the risky sea route on the 5-meter-long boat included four children and a woman who is eight-months pregnant.

Greece toughens anti-racism law after long debate. (Punishment is meted to those denying or praising the Holocaust, genocide and war crimes against humanity)

Greece on Sept. 9 ratcheted up its punishments for racism, anti-Semitism and hate speech, in a move prompted by the surprise rise of a neo-Nazi party.
     
A new law approved by parliament sets prison sentences of up to three years -- up from two years -- and fines of up to 20,000 euros ($26,000) for "inciting acts of discrimination, hatred or violence" over race, religion or disability.
     
Similar punishment is meted to those denying or praising the Holocaust, genocide and war crimes against humanity.

Church figures unite for historic Turkish service

Photo: aa.com.tr

VAN. -Preparations are continuing for a special religious service to be held in eastern Turkey on Sunday which will see senior figures from Greek, Armenian and Syrian Orthodox churches attend together for the first time.

The 10th-century Akdamar Church in Van province will see Vicar of the Armenian Orthodox Church Aram Atesyan, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, Patriarchal Vicar of the Syrian Orthodox Church Yusuf Cetin and Diocese of the Armenian Church of America Archbishop Khajag Barsamian attend the historic service.

Greeks Fighting Alongside Donetsk People’s Republic Militia - (Reports)

Volunteers from Greece are among the representatives of various nationalities in the ranks of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) indepedence forces, the Athens Courier newspaper reported.

According to the newspaper, there is a large community of Greeks in the east of Ukraine, who have suffered as much as other residents of the region and many of them fled for Russia’s Rostov and Kuban regions.

“Pontic Greeks, who live in Greece, should be concerned with the fate of the Greeks living in Mariupol, which is trapped under the shelling [and other firing] of the Kiev-Lviv punishers,” the paper reported.

Greek producers affected by Russian food embargo set to receive EU help

The Greek government is looking for the European Union to make sure the country’s producers will be compensated for losses suffered by Russia’s food embargo.

A meeting of agricultural experts from all 28 European Union member states in Brussels is set to go ahead on August 14 2014. “Decisions regarding the size and nature of the compensation will be taken there,” government spokeswoman Sofia Voultepsi said.

Oil depot catches fire as Libya battles rage. (Rocket strikes main fuel depot in Libyan capital)

Foreigners flee and parliament holds emergency meeting....

Tripoli's main fuel depot has been set ablaze after rockets fired by one of Libya's armed groups struck and ignited a tank, the National Oil company (NOC) said.
Black plumes of smoke rose over the fuel tanks, which store oil for use in the capital and are located near Tripoli's international airport.
Firefighters deployed to tackle the blaze were forced back by the fighting, NOC spokesman Mohamed al-Harari said on Saturday.
Libya's newly elected parliament held an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the dire security situation threatening to tear the country apart.

Russia may restrict Greek fruit, U.S. poultry imports (reports)

MOSCOW - Russia may impose new food import restrictions next week, reports said on Thursday, in what could be responses to new Western sanctions over Moscow's support of rebels in Ukraine.

The country has already announced several food import bans following Western sanctions.

Russia's Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) may restrict fruit imports from Greece next week, RIA news agency reported, citing the watchdog agency.

Greek government, Cypriot President voice concern over progress of Cyprus peace talks during Athens meeting

Greece's government and visiting Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades voiced concern over the pace of progress in peace talks with the so-called Turkish Cypriot side regarding the resolution of the Cyprus issue during a meeting in Athens on Monday.

Anastasiades, who is on a two-day visit to Greece, discussed the ongoing talks for the reunification of the divided island with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and other Greek government officials on Monday, while on Tuesday he is due to hold talks with leaders of opposition parties.

State aid: Commission approves restructuring aid for Greek bank Alpha Bank

European Commission, Press release, Brussels, 9 July 2014:

The European Commission has found the restructuring plan of the Greek Alpha Bank, including the acquisition and integration of Emporiki Bank, to be in line with EU state aid rules. The measures already implemented and those envisaged in the future will enable the bank to return to viability, while limiting the distortions of competition brought about by the state funding. 

Turkey criticizes "anti-Turkish" bill on Christian properties

......."While the clear and concrete steps that Turkey has taken for the improvement of the rights and freedoms of all of its citizens, including for the non-Muslim minorities are evident; attempts by anti-Turkish circles in the U.S. Congress, driven by domestic political considerations, to push such unconstructive and baseless initiatives are unacceptable," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement June 27.

The bill, which passed through the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday, requires the U.S. secretary of state to provide an annual report to Congress regarding Washington's efforts to secure the return and restoration of "stolen, confiscated, or otherwise unreturned Christian properties" in Turkey and the northern Cyprus.

Turkish-Greek ties in most successful period (Istanbul-born Greek politician)

Relations between Greece and Turkey have been going through its most successful period, according to Istanbul-born Greek politician Eva Kaili.

The 35-year-old served as a member of the Greek Parliament from 2007-2012 from PASOK and was elected to the European Parliament last month.

Upon being asked about Turkish-Greek relations, Kaili said, “Now we are in the ‘[Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan era.’” She continued, “We have been going through the most successful period regarding mutual ties.

Greeks hope for a bumper season as the tourists come back

Greece is hoping for a new tourism record this year, with arrivals likely to exceed 20 million, in a new sign that the country is winning back foreigners as the economy gets back on its feet.

After a poor season in 2012 – a year marked by back-to-back elections, political instability, and anti-austerity protests – the tourism industry seems finally to be getting its swagger back.

Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and US to take part in Thracian Star 2014 military exercise

Fighter aircraft from the air forces of Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and the United States will take part in the joint training exercise Thracian Star 2014 from May 26 to June 4, the defence ministry in Sofia said on May 21.

The joint exercise of that name has been held annually since 2005, under a US-Bulgarian agreement on defence co-operation. In recent years, it was expanded to include Bulgaria’s neighbouring countries.

Seven injured by fireworks on Easter Day in Greece

Seven people were injured by fireworks on the Aegean Sea island of Santorini in Greece on Sunday as the country was celebrating Easter Day.

The injured included three American tourists, aged 51, 53 and 54 respectively, who were transferred by air from Santorini to Crete after suffering serious injuries from fireworks used by worshippers.

Four other people, two Cypriots and two Greeks, were also slightly injured in the same incident and received first aid on the Greece's popular tourist island.

Nestor project in Pylos: unravelling the universe’s mysteries from the bottom of the sea

More than 2,000 years before the scientific means were developed to prove the existence of atoms, ancient Greeks already theorised about their existence. Their descendants continue to be at the forefront of scientific research as shown by the Nestor project in Pylos, in southwestern Greece. This involves creating an underwater telescope at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. It will track neutrinos in a bid to unravel some of the universe’s biggest mysteries.

Turkey-Greece political consultations to be held in Athens

During the consultations, bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues will be discussed.....

The next round of the political consultations at the level of Undersecretary/Secretary General of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Turkey and Greece will be held on November 26 in Greek capital Athens.
The delegation of Turkey will be headed by Feridun Sinirlioglu, Undersecretary of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Greek media mirror citizens' fears, hopes over Merkel victory.

ATHENS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The results of Germany's federal elections dominated Greek media on Monday, mirroring Greek citizens' fears and hopes over the impact of Angela Merkel's victory on the resolution of the Greek and European economic crisis.
Half of Greeks according to a recent poll believed that Merkel's reelection would have negative effects for Greece due to her insistence on tough cuts in wages, pensions and social services to tackle Greece massive debt problems.
Greek media reflected this notion on Monday, focusing on the significance of the outcome for Greece, in particular if a new grand coalition emerges in Berlin.

Babiniotis to address parents on benefits of Greek

Australia: 12 Nov 2012 (neoskosmos)

Professor of Linguistics Mr George Babiniotis, will be speaking to parents on the importance of studying the Greek language and on effective ways of learning Greek.
For the first time in Melbourne, parents are given this opportunity to meet and hear from one of the most important academics who will be visiting Australian from the University of Athens.
Professor Babiniotis will speak to the parents on the topic of: The pedagogical, scientific and social benefits of learning the Greek Language and effective ways of learning the language.