Minorities in Greece

Map of Greece

Greece is a largely ethnically homogenous country. This is mainly due to the population exchanges between Greece and neighbouring Turkey (Treaty of Lausanne) and Bulgaria (Treaty of Neuilly), which removed most Muslims (with the exception of the Muslims of Thrace) and those Christian Slavs who did not identify as Greeks, from Greek territory; the treaty also provided for the resettlement of ethnic Greeks from those countries, later to be followed by refugees (see Pontian Greek Genocide, Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) and Istanbul Pogrom). The 2001 census reported a population of 10,964,020 people. Of these, 2% are from ethnic minority groups. The main officially recognized "minority" (μειονότητα) is the Muslim minority (Μουσουλμανική μειονότητα) in Thrace, which amounts to approximately 1,3% of the total population and consists of mainly Turks, Pomaks and Roma. Other recognized minority groups - referred to as "nationalities" (εθνότητες) - are the Armenians numbering approximately 35,000, and the Jews (Sephardim and Romaniotes) numbering approximately 5,500.

There has been some controversy about the status of other minority groups. Due to common history, religion and to a governmental policy of Hellenisation and non-recognition of certain ethnic groups, or simply by personal choice, most of the members of these groups now self-identify as Greek.

Religious minorities

See also: Roman Catholicism in Greece

The Greek constitution defines the Eastern Orthodox Church as the "prevailing religion" in Greece, and over 95% of the population claim membership in it. Any other religion not explicitly defined by law (e.g. unlike Islam, which is explicitly recognized) may acquire the status of a "known religion", a status which allows the religion's adherents to worship freely, and to have constitutional recognition. After a court ruling, the criteria for acquiring the status of a "known religion", were defined as being, a "religion or a dogma whose doctrine is open and not secret, is taught publicly and its rites of worship are also open to the public, irrespective of whether its adherents have religious authorities; such a religion or dogma needs not to be recognized or approved by an act of the State or Church". This covers most religious minorities such as Roman Catholics, Evangelicals, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, and Christian Jehovah's Witnesses. All known religions to be considered by the Greek state legal entities under private law must establish an association, or foundation, or charitable fund-raising committee pursuant to the Civil Code. The Roman Catholic Church refuses to be considered a legal person under private or public law and has requested recognition by its own Canon law. In July 1999, following a parliamentary amendment, the legal entity status of all institutions of the Roman Catholic Church established before 1946 was reconfirmed. There is no formal mechanism that exists to gain recognition as a "known religion". There is also a population of roughly 40,000 Greeks who follow the ancient Greek Religion . Their religion, as of May 2006, is legally unbanned in Greece

Linguistic and cultural minorities

Slavic-speaking

In the 6th and 7th centuries AD Slavic-speaking populations overturned Macedonia's Greek ethnic composition , and Slavic languages have been spoken in the area alongside Greek in the region ever since. In parts of northern Greece, in the regions of Macedonia (Μακεδονία) and Thrace (Θράκη), Slavonic languages continue to be spoken by people with a wide range of self-identifications. The actual linguistic classification of these dialects is unclear, although most linguists will classify them as either Bulgarian or Macedonian Slavic taking into account numerous factors, including the resemblance and mutual intelligibility of each dialect to the standard languages (abstand), and the self-identification of the speakers themselves. As however the vast majority of these people don't have a Bulgarian or Macedonian Slav national identity, linguists will make their decisions based on abstand alone. For a fuller treatment of this subject, see Slavic language (Greece). The Slavic-speaking minority of northern Greece can be divided in to two main groups: Christians and Muslims.

Christian Orthodox Slavophones

See also: Bulgarians, Macedonian Slavs, Serbs

The Christian portion of Greece's Slavic-speaking minority are commonly referred to as Slavophones (from the Greek Σλαβόφωνοι Slavophōnoi - lit. Slavic-speakers) or Dopii, which means "locals" in Greek. The vast majority of them espouse a Greek national identity and are bilingual in Greek. They live mostly in the Periphery of Western Macedonia and belong to the Greek Orthodox Church, which in conjunction with the millet system of the Ottoman Empire which occupied the region until 1913, may explain their self-identification as Greeks. The fact that the majority of these people self-identify as Greeks makes their numbers uncertain. Until and including the 1951 census the question of mother tongue was asked throughout Greece, so this gives a rough idea as to the size of this group, and later estimates are usually based on this figure.

The national identity of this community has frequently been loaded with political implications. The Politis-Kalfov Protocol signed on September 29, 1925 purported to recognize the Slav-speakers of Macedonia as Bulgarians, but this protocol was never ratified. A short lived agreement was signed August 1926, which recognized them as a Serbian minority.

In the 1951 census, 41,017 people claimed to speak the Slavic language. As stated earlier linguistic classification of the dialects spoken by these people oscillates from Bulgarian to Macedonian Slavic depending on abstand from the standard languages.

This group has received some attention in recent years due to claims from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia that these people form an ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece. A political party promoting this line and claiming rights of what they describe as the "Macedonian minority in Greece" - the Rainbow (Виножито) - was founded in September 1998; it received 2,955 votes in the region of Macedonia in the latest elections (2004). A pro-Bulgarian political party, known as Bulgarian Human Rights in Macedonia (Български Човешки Права в Македония) was established in June 2000, promoting the concept and rights of what they describe as the "Bulgarian minority in Greece". This party has not yet participated in elections. The official position of the Greek government is that there is no "ethnic Macedonian" or Bulgarian minority in Greece.

Muslim Slavophones

See also: Pomaks

The Muslim Slavic-speaking minority is known as Pomak (Πομάκοι), they reside mainly in villages in the Rhodope Mountains in Thrace. Their dialects are usually classified as dialects of Bulgarian, although most Pomaks themselves self-identify as Turks . This Turkification has a number of reasons, including the fact that Turks and Pomaks were part of the same millet during the years when their homeland was part of the Ottoman Empire. It is believed though that the main reason for the Pomaks' Turkification is that they would no longer be a minority within a minority (the Muslim minority), or have no one to defend their rights (the Turkish government actively promotes the welfare of the Turkish minority).

Under Greek law, the Muslim minority (including the Pomaks) has a right to education in its own language. In practice however, only Turkish is used . This is due to the Turkish self-identification of the Pomaks, and the fact that this trend was promoted until recently by the Greek authorities (who from 1968 until the 1980s even officially recognized the Pomaks as Turks ) in order to distance them from the Bulgarians . It has been reported though, that Pomak dialects may be used by teachers to explain some things orally to kindergarten and primary school pupils . Additionally, the minority languages can be used by local authorities and in courts, and under Greek law, interpreters will be provided. Nevertheless, most Pomaks will speak Turkish on such occasions .

Most Pomaks are fluent in their Pomak dialects (spoken amongst themselves), Turkish (their language of education, and the main language of the Muslim minority), Greek (the official language of the Greek state), and may know some Arabic (the language of the Koran) . The latest official estimate on the number of Pomaks in Greece was given by the Coordinating Office of Minority Schools (Συντονιστικό Γραφείο Μειονοτικών Σχολείων) in 1994, and was 35,000.

Albanian-speaking

See also: Albanians in Greece, Arvanites, Cham Albanians

After the opening of the Albanian borders in 1991, a huge influx of Albanian economic migrants crossed illegally into Greece in order to find work. They are currently estimated at about 500,000, but an accurate calculation is very difficult because of the large percentage of illegal immigrants.

Most of them retain their Albanian citizenship, therefore they do not constitute an ethnic minority. The situation is becoming more complex with their children, the second generation of immigrants, who were born in Greece after 1991. Also, most of them have been granted work permits.

They are not to be confused with the Arvanites, a group speaking a dialect of Albanian but with a very strong sense of Greek identity[3] including significant contributions to the Greek Independence and Greek culture in general.

The Chams, were an ethnic Albanian minority who lived in the area of Chameria, part of the Greek Epirus prefecture. They were ousted to Albania by the Greek authorities after World War II and several of their properties were destroyed, because they actively collaborated with the Nazis. Very strong sentiments against them by the Greeks, had made impossible any co-habitation. Recently, this issue has brought some controversy because some elderly representatives of the Chams and their descendants are claiming their properties back from the Greek state.

Aromanian-speaking

Main article: Aromanians in Greece

In Greece, the Aromanians are called "Vlachs" (Greek: Βλάχοι, pron."Vlahi"). There are numerous festivals celebrating Aromanian culture all over Greece. Their language, Aromanian, is in danger of extinction and mostly spoken by the elderly. The Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs (Πανελλήνια Ομοσπονδία Πολιτιστικών Συλλόγων Βλάχων) has publicly stated that they do not want Aromanian recognized as a minority language nor do they want it inserted into the education system [4], and the same organization also protested when they were designated a "minority" after the publication of a Mr Thede Kahl's paper calling them a "minority" [5].

Ethnic minorities

Bulgarians

Bulgarian minority in Greece is a controversial issue. Since establishment of Greek Sate in 1830 no ethnic census has been held and a policy of denying any ethnic minority has been prevailed. Greece currently denies existence of Bulgarian minority as well as any other Balkan one (Macedonian, Albanian, Cham, Serbian, Rumanian, Aromanian, Roma, and Turk). Armenians, Jews, Aromanians and Gipsies are officially referred as “nationalities” or “communities”.

On September 29, 1925 a bilateral Bulgarian-Greek agreement was signed in Geneva (Politis-Kalfov protocol) after League of Nations's demand, recognizing Greek slavophones as Bulgarians and guaranting their protection. The cause of agreement was the massacre of 17 Bulgarian peasants by Greek captain Doxakis at Terlis (or Tarlis) (present-day Vathitopos), a mountainous village of Drama prefecture near Greek-Bulgarian border.

The incident known as Terlis massacre triggered intarnational outcry against Greece and intervention of League of Nations. Next month a Bulgarian primer textbook in Latin known as Abecedar published by Greek ministry for education, was introduced to Greek schools of Aegean Macedonia. On February 2, 1925 Greek parliament under heavy pressure from Serbia that reacted revoking the 1913 Greek-Serbian coallition Treaty, rejected ratification. Agreement lasted 9 months until June 10, 1925 when League of Nations anulled it. On August 1926 during dictatorship of general Theodoros Pangalos, Serbia proposed an agreement recognizing Slavophones of Greece as Serbian minority. This proposal was never materialized as diplomatic agreement.

On December 9, 1927 Greece and Bulgaria signed in Geneva another bilateral accord known as Mollov-Kafantaris agreement by which the 1919 Neuilly Treaty concerning the non obligatory population exchange between Greece and Bulgaria was settled. A non specified number of Bulgars remained in Greece.

During the 1941-1944 German occupation of Greece, a significant number of Greek citizens selfdetermined as Bulgars (about 15.000) asked Bulgarian citizenship after their registration in Bulgarian Club of Thessaloniki. In the mean time a pro Bulgarian paramilitary organization known as Ohrana was formed in Voden (Edessa) , Lerin (Florina) and Kostur (Kastoria) regions of northern Greece aiming to counterattack Greek nationalistic organizations as PAO. Ohrana members were organized in three military battalions by Bulgarian reserve lieutenant and academic level economist Andon Kaltsev who came in Macedonia from Germany. After WW II most of Ohrana's members fled to Yugoslavian Macedonia, those who remained suffered cruel prosecutions includind death penalty and property confiscation, considered as traitors (dosilogoi). Andon Kaltsev was executed in Thessaloniki on 1948, condemned by a Greek military court. On June 25, 1998 during his official visit in Thessaloniki, Bulgarian president Petar Stoyanov put the issue of Bulgarian minority in Greece. On June 2000 a political party named Bulgarian Human Rights in Macedonia was registered in Greece. It advocates recognision and protection of Bulgarian ethnic minority in Greece.

Armenians

See also: Armenians

There are approximately 35,000 Armenians in Greece out of which approximately 20,000 can speak the Armenian language [6]. The community's main political representative is the Armenian National Committee of Greece; its headquarters are in Athens with branches all over Greece. The community also manages its own educational institutions. Approximately 95% of Armenians in Greece are Armenian Orthodox, with the rest being Armenian Catholics or Evangelicals.

Roma

See also: Roma people

The history of Roma in Greece goes back namy centuries. Due to their nomadic nature, they are not concentrated in a specific geographical area, but are dispersed all over the country. Roma largely maintain their own customs and traditions. Although a large number of Roma has adopted a sedentary and urban way of living, there are still settlements in some areas. The nomads at the settlements often differentiate themselves from the rest of the population. They number 200,000 according to the Greek government.

Turkish

See also Muslim minority (Greece)

There is a Turkish minority living in Thrace, concentrated in the Rhodope and Xanthi Prefectures. Many of them descend from Turkish populations living in the area during the Ottoman period. Like the Greeks of Istanbul, Imbros and Tenedos, they were exempted from the 1923 population exchange. The Greek government continues to deliver Turkish language and there are two Islamic theological seminaries, one in Komotini and one in Ehinos. From the 1991 census, the official position of the Greek government is that there are 98,000 Muslims in western Thrace, and that 50% are of Turkish ethnic origin, the rest being mainly Pomaks and Roma . The numbers of the ethnic Turks in Greek Thrace are estimated by INTEREG (1994) at 90,000 (quoted by Eurominority).

Apart from Thrace, a small minority of Turks exists in the Dodecanese islands of Rhodes and Kos. They were not included in the 1923 population exchange as the Dodecanese were annexed from Italy in 1947 after World War II. After annexation of islands, their Muslim inhabitants, Greek and Turkish speakers, were granted Greek citizenship. Today, about 4,000 Muslims live in the Dodecanese islands of Rhodes and Kos and use Turkish in every day life. In Rhodes and Kos, the teaching of the Turkish language was de facto abolished in the early 1970s.

Jews of Greece

Main articles: History of the Jews in Greece and Romaniotes

The interaction between Greece and the Jews dates back to ancient times. Alexander the Great reached ancient Judea and was welcomed by the Jews. Following his death, war erupted between the Greek successors of Alexander and the Jewish Maccabees that embittered relations between Greeks and Jews for centuries. Until the Holocaust during World War II Greece had always had a significant, localized and active Jewish community with a long and rich cultural heritage. Jews practiced Judaism and over the centuries, developed a variety of Greek-Judaic dialects, such as the Yevanic language.

Population of Thessaloniki

Year	Total Population	Jewish Population	Jewish Percentage
1842	70,000	36,000	51%
1870	90,000	50,000	56%
1882/84	85,000	48,000	56%
1902	126,000	62,000	49%
1913	157,889	61,439	39%
1943		53,000
2000	363,987	1,000	0.3%

86% of the Greek Jews, especially those in the areas occupied by Nazi Germany and Bulgaria, were murdered despite efforts by the Greek Orthodox Church hierarchy and individual Greeks (both Christian and Communist) to shelter Jews.

See also

• Demographics of Greece
• Human rights in Greece
• Arvanites
• Aromanians
• Greek Muslim minority
• Hellenization