Letter to
president of USA,
Donald J. Trump
WORLD
PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATIONS
Coordinator:
Nina Gatzoulis
July 7, 2018
To: Donald J.
Trump, President of the United States of America,
Dear Mr.
President,
With this
letter, we wish to make clear the reasons that Greeks cannot accept the word
“Macedonia” (or any name that includes “Macedonia” in it) as the permanent name
of its northern neighbor, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
This name (FYROM) was agreed upon to be used only temporarily. The term
“Macedonia” has to be removed before the country’s entry to any international
organization.
Like any other
nation, Greeks feel only a sense of pride when other countries use historical
or other Greek names and words, as they introduce new scientific terms, or name
companies, places, or cities. However, FYROM demands to be given the same name
as its neighboring region which belongs to Greece. The underlying reasons for
this demand, and why Greeks are fiercely opposed to it are explained below.
On January 11,
1934, the Comintern (Communist International) recognized the existence of a
non-existing “Macedonian nation”, which included all
the—multiethnic—inhabitants of the territory that was once ancient Macedonia,
the largest part of which was/is in Greece, and smaller parts in Bulgaria and
south Yugoslavia. The purpose was to bring to the newly founded “Macedonian
nation” a sense of homogeneity and pride, and unite its inhabitants in a strife
to “reclaim” the northern administrative region of Greece which is called
Macedonia, and thus get access to the sea. Subsequently (in 1944), the
leader—and later president—of Communist Yugoslavia, Josip Broz (commonly known
as Tito) renamed Vardarska Banovina (Province of the river Vardar), a region of
south Yugoslavia, to “Socialist Republic of Macedonia”. In addition, he
codified the language spoken in parts of south Yugoslavia, a Slavic dialect
similar to Bulgarian dialects, and called it “Macedonian language”. It is
important to note that the US administration immediately reacted at that time,
with Secretary of State Edward Stettinius stating that any talk about
“Macedonian nation”, “Macedonian Fatherland”, or “Macedonian national
consciousness” is an “unjustified demagoguery representing no ethnic or
political reality” and it can only be seen as “a possible cloak for aggressiveintentions against Greece”.
Indeed, at
that time, a narrative began developing, according to which the Slavic
“Macedonians” are direct descendants of Alexander the Great and the Ancient
Macedonians, and that the Greeks occupy a large part of their land (the large
part of Northern Greece which was Macedonia since the ancient times and is
still called Macedonia today). This
ideology has gained strong momentum since 1991 (when the region of South
Yugoslavia known today as FYROM broke away from Yugoslavia).
There have
been many attempts to find a solution under the aegis of the UN over the years.
Greeks throughout the world do not harbor any enmity or hostility toward the citizens
of FYROM, and yearn for a peaceful and productive coexistence between the two
peoples. It is important to note in this regard that Greece has decidedly
contributed to building FYROM’s economy and infrastructure. Greece has an
earnest desire for mutual respect and the realization of a lasting political
solution with its northern neighbor.
Right now,
however, a tragedy is going on in Greece and an uncertain future rises not only
for Greece but also for the entire Balkan region. The governments of many
European states, especially Germany, have persuaded the current weak Greek
government that the “Prespes Accord” (signed by Athens and Skopje on June 17,
2018 at Psarades in the Prespes lake region of Greece’s northern province,
Macedonia) is good for Greece. In addition to the country’s name “North
Macedonia”, the accord recognizes – or rather gifts – the multiethnic
population of the FYROM with a “Macedonian nationality” and “Macedonian
language”, albeit with a referral descriptor that is supposed to clarify that
the FYROM citizens are not related to ancient Macedonians, and that the
“Macedonian” language belongs to the Slavic family languages. These are plain
absurdities, as though when an inhabitant of Skopje answers to a Spaniard for
instance that the language he speaks is “Macedonian” he will add: “but it
belongs to the Slavic family of languages.”
During the
signing of this accord —which, in accordance with the Constitution of the
Hellenic Republic, the Greek government has no mandate from the Greek people to
sign—, tens of thousands of Greek citizens in the nearby village of Pisoderi
were rallying against it. The Greek Police, obviously following orders by the
government, chased the peaceful demonstrators using tear gas and stun grenades
and even beating up as well as throwing individuals down a steep ravine (many
of these protesters had to be hospitalized).
This accord
has not yet been completely finalized as it has to pass through a referendum in
the FYROM as well as through the Greek and FYROM Parliaments. While the Greek
government is ready to commit this act, the Greek people vehemently and
unequivocally oppose it. Consequently, the Greek people are exercising their
right to defend their Constitution and are rallying loudly, yet peacefully up
to now, protesting in most cities across Greece, demanding a referendum as
well.
The SWAT teams
deployed by the government, tear gas and attack all demonstrators (including
the elderly, women and children) on a daily basis. However, and to the
government’s dismay, these rallies are multiplying by the day, but
unfortunately all major Greek media, including the state-owned and run ERT
channel, do not cover them. Moreover, when a news item is reported, the
demonstrators are presented as “far-right nationalists and extremists” and
“neo-Nazis” – descriptions that could not be further from the truth. Therefore,
the international community does not know what is REALLY going on in Greece in
this summer of discontent.
It is well
known that Greeks have gone through an economic crisis enduring its
consequences stoically, but they will defend to the end the name of Macedonia
which is being usurped by a non-Greek state. It is not the purpose of this
letter to explain that the history of Ancient Macedonia is a very important
part of Greek history; we have done that previously (please see). We
fear that because of the way the Greek government responds, the peaceful
rallies will turn violent, bringing instability to Greece and the entire
region.
It is
difficult not to notice the closer ties that FYROM has been developing with
Turkey, who provokes Greece on a daily basis by invading Greek waters and
airspace, and disputes Greece’s sea borders; apparently, the old saying “the
enemy of my enemy is my friend” has been applied in this case, but such
developments cannot contribute to offering Greece “peace of mind”. It is also
interesting to note that Soros’ Open Societies Foundation vehemently supports the Prespes accord.
Dr. Frank L.
Holt, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Houston, concludes in
his prologue of the book “Macedonia Evidence”:
The future
surely fascinates us, but it has no force. It merely waits while the past
drives the present. On the train-tracks of time, the engine has always been in
the back, pushing rather than pulling. Thus, the past cannot be unhooked and
unheeded as so much dead weight. Nor can it be left in the hands of the wrong
engineers: Whoever controls the past determines the future, and that ultimately
depends upon who in the present is shaping the past. Parliaments? Pundits?
Preachers? Poets? Presidents? Who controls the present must choose carefully
whom to trust with our past, else a false and monstrous future may result.
Mr. President,
Please take heed of these lines and do something to stop the upheaval that
surely is coming in the area. Let the truth prevail, side with the Greek
people.
Sincerely,
WORLD
PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATIONS*
Pan-Macedonian
Association USA
President:
Demitris Filippidis
Pan-Macedonian
Federation of Australia
Coordinator:
Peter Jasonides
Pan-Macedonian
Association of Canada
President: Dr.
Christos Karatzios
Pan-Macedonian
Association of New South Wells, Australia
President:
Nikolaos Fassoulas
Pan-Macedonian
Association of South Australia
President:
Evangelos Tsiaparis
Pan-Macedonian
Association of Western Australia
President:
Paul Afkos OAM
Pan-Macedonian
Association Queensland, Australia
Presidient:
Dimitrios Papagiannis
Pan-Macedonian
Association of Africa
President:
Amyntas Papathanasiou
Pan-Macedonian
Federation of Canada
President:
George Papadakis
Pan-Hellenic
Federation of Cultural Associations of the Macedonians (Greece)
President:
George Tatsios
Co-signed by
the Pan-Macedonian Federation of Greece
President: Dr.
John Athanasiadis
* The World
Pan-Macedonian Associations is the international representative umbrella of the
individual PanMacedonian federations of the United States of America, Canada,
Australia, Africa and Greece.
Greek SWAT
Teams throwing tear gas bombs on peaceful demonstrators, including women,
children and the elderly in Pisoderi:
ΛΕΞΕΙΣ-ΚΛΕΙΔΙΑ: ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑ, ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΚΟ, ΣΚΟΠΙΑ, ΣΚΟΠΙΑΝΟ, ΠΓΔΜ, FYROM, ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ, ΦΛΩΡΙΝΑ, ΚΑΒΑΛΑ, ΗΠΑ, ΤΡΑΜΠ, ΣΟΡΟΣ, ΓΙΟΥΓΚΟΣΛΑΒΙΑ
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