​Greece and Bulgaria have signed a landmark cultural agreement that resolves a decades-long heritage dispute by establishing a reciprocal exchange of historical relics and medieval royal remains.

The memorandum of understanding, signed by Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Bulgarian Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev, outlines the repatriation of dozens of Greek religious artifacts in exchange for the bones of a 10th-century Bulgarian emperor.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bulgaria will return 48 religious relics to Greece. The items, stolen during the Bulgarian occupation of eastern Macedonia (1916-1918) from the Holy Monasteries of Panagia Eikosifoinissa and Timios Prodromos of Serres, and from the Holy Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita, were taken to Sofia in 1917 during the First World War. For over a century, the treasures have been held or displayed at the National History Museum of Bulgaria.

In a reciprocal transfer, Greece will hand over the remains of Tsar Samuel, who ruled the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 1014.

The remains were discovered in 1965 by Greek archaeologist Nikolaos Moutsopoulos during excavations at the Basilica of Saint Achillios, located on an island in Little Prespa Lake near Greece's northern border. Anthropological material from three other sarcophagi found at the site will also be included in the transfer. The bones have spent recent years stored at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev praised the accord, stating that the memory of the medieval ruler now "unites rather than divides" the two neighboring nations. Mr. Radev expressed gratitude to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the political determination required to finalize the agreement.

The formal signing ceremony and handover protocol will take place this Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Museum of Byzantine Culture. Both Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Radev are scheduled to attend.

Following the ceremony, Tsar Samuel’s remains are expected to be flown by military aircraft to Sofia, where they will be permanently interred at the Church of Saint Sophia. The 48 returning Greek artifacts will remain on temporary exhibition at the Thessaloniki museum until Nov. 5, 2026, before being returned to their respective monasteries and dioceses of origin.

Officials from both countries confirmed that negotiations will continue regarding the identification and potential return of additional historical items not covered by the current agreement.

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HCRI; Notes from MINCULHR

A major geopolitical mismatch is brewing in Canada’s capital, and critics warn it could leave Ottawa completely out of step with its most important ally.

Canada’s initiative to expand defence industrial cooperation with Turkey has collided with a harsh reality in Washington. As Ottawa expands its Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) to cultivate "mid-power" manufacturing partnerships, a bipartisan legislative push in the United States is actively trying to downgrade relations with Ankara. For Canadian policymakers, this is not some minor policy difference. Ottawa and Washington cannot safely move in opposite directions regarding a state that increasingly puts Western security at risk.
Washington lawmakers have established a clear, multi-pronged position through both a pending bill and a recent congressional hearing evaluating Turkey's democratic backsliding. By proceeding down this path if the U.S. legislation passes, Canada risks creating friction with its most critical security and intelligence partner, potentially jeopardizing bilateral technology sharing and joint defense initiatives.

The strategic rift is driven by the introduction of the Turkey Diplomatic Realignment Act (H.R. 1890). Sponsored by Representatives Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), the bill delivers a scathing indictment of the NATO ally. U.S. lawmakers warn that Turkey’s destabilizing maneuvers in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East pose significant risks to regional stability. By forcing the U.S. State Department to downgrade Turkey’s diplomatic status, the legislation would send a definitive signal: Ankara’s deepening ties with Russia, its domestic authoritarian trajectory, and its anti-Western policy mean it can no longer be trusted as a reliable security partner.

American lawmakers are also continuing their years-long scrutiny of Turkey’s domestic regression with a new high-profile hearing. On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission convened a critical session: "Can Turkey Find Its Way Back to Freedom? Authoritarian Consolidation vs Defense of Turkish Democracy." This ongoing bipartisan focus proves that Congress remains committed to challenging Ankara’s systemic human rights abuses and erosion of democratic norms.

Willful Blindness in Ottawa and Domestic Opposition
​
Canadian officials appear willfully blind to Turkey's aggressive regional posture and systemic internal human rights abuses. At the recent SAHA Defence Expo 2026 in Turkey, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr advocated for an expansion of defence and industrial ties under a proposed Canada-Turkey Defence Initiative. Fuhr identified several key areas for bilateral cooperation, including the co-development of advanced drones and counter-drone systems.

This policy direction has generated immediate domestic opposition. A coalition of Greek-Canadian organizations, advocacy organizations, human rights activists, and concerned citizens formally demanded an immediate suspension of joint defence manufacturing initiatives. Opponents highlighted to Fuhr Turkey’s domestic human rights record, aggressive foreign policy, and previous violations of international export controls. When questioned regarding the political viability of reviving these ties, particularly in light of Canada's previous arms embargoes against Ankara, Fuhr minimized historical friction and noted that Canada remains focused on future strategic partnerships. Furthermore, defence correspondent Cem Devrim Yaylali for Defense News reported that Fuhr indicated past friction had not been raised during diplomatic talks.

The Hellenic Canadian Research Institute explicitly warned Fuhr that this new strategy repeats past failures, pointing to how Canadian military technology was previously diverted by Turkey to Azerbaijan and used in the ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) war.

Reconsidering the Canada-Turkey Defence Initiative

Against this backdrop, Canada’s proposed defence initiative with Turkey appears increasingly unsustainable. The federal government must recognize a fundamental incompatibility: Ottawa cannot realistically co-develop military weapons with a state that American lawmakers are actively moving to diplomatically downgrade. Failing to align Canadian ambitions with Washington’s strategic reality, while dismissing the clear domestic warnings brought directly to Secretary Fuhr, leaves Canada in an untenable position.

Forging ahead with this initiative risks a severe breach of Canada's values-based foreign policy. By locking its defence industry into an unstable partnership with Turkey, Ottawa leaves itself profoundly exposed to complicity in external conflicts. Ultimately, proceeding down this path ensures that Canadian-manufactured weapons and components will once again be deployed in regional wars and tied to human rights violations abroad.

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HCRI; GACAN; USCNG; TLHRC; 

The Hellenic Canadian Research Institute is concerned with the recent statements by Canada’s Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, MP Stephen Fuhr. Following his visit to the SAHA Expo 2026 in Turkey, MP Fuhr indicated Canada’s intention to rapidly expand bilateral defence and industrial cooperation, specifically in the areas of drones, counter-drone systems, ammunition production, and autonomous technologies.

​The Hellenic Canadian Research Institute strongly objects to this policy shift, citing Turkey’s persistent expansionist agenda, destabilizing regional activities, and documented history of violating international export controls.

Expanding defence cooperation with an actor that consistently violates international law undermines Canada's commitment to global security and human rights. The Hellenic Canadian Research Institute has issued a formal, private communication to MP Fuhr urging an immediate halt to these plans.

Turkey has a history of unauthorized diversions of Canadian military technology. During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict, Turkey illegally transferred Canadian-made military equipment to Azerbaijan. This technology was directly deployed against civilian populations, contributing to the subsequent ethnic cleansing of over 100,000 Armenians from their ancestral homeland.

Similar unauthorized diversions of Canadian technology by the Turkish government have also occurred in conflict zones across Syria and Libya. These systemic violations previously forced the Canadian government to suspend military export permits to Turkey between 2019 and 2021.

The Hellenic Canadian Research Institute warns that renewing and expanding this defence partnership overlooks Turkey’s ongoing aggressive foreign policy and human rights record, which includes:

• Sovereignty Violations: The ongoing illegal military occupation of Cyprus and continued irredentist claims against sovereign Greek territory and maritime boundaries in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
• Support for Extremism: Documented political and logistical support for proscribed terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as various jihadist militant factions in the Middle East.
• Regional Aggression: Continuous military operations and bombardments targeting Kurdish regions in northern Iraq and northern Syria.
• Geopolitical Inconsistency: Attempting to balance relations between Russia and the West during the ongoing war in Ukraine, complicating NATO solidarity.
• Domestic Repression: Widespread human rights abuses, including the systemic imprisonment of political opposition voices, journalists, and dissidents, and the systemic domestic repression of Kurdish citizens.

Given Turkey's ongoing belligerence in the Southeastern Mediterranean and broader region, the Hellenic Canadian Research Institute calls upon the Government of Canada to immediately halt all plans to expand defence and industrial ties with Turkey. The Hellenic Canadian Research Institute further demands rigorous, transparent oversight on all existing export permits to ensure Canadian technology is not utilized to facilitate regional aggression.

Hellenic Canadian Research Institute

On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, Metropolitan Bishop Anthimos of Didymoteicho, Thrace, met with Emin Serif, the new Mufti of the same city, at the Anthimeio Ecclesiastical Center. Accompanying the new Mufti was the secretary of the Mufti's office, Mr. Fikri Tsaous.

The Metropolitan and the new Mufti had a long conversation on issues of coexistence between Christians and Muslims of the region, while both identified the need for both sides to cooperate and work together for the progress and prosperity of the country.

The swearing-in of the new Mufti of Didymoteicho took place before the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Sofia Zacharaki, on Friday, January 9, 2026, at the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs & Sports. According to the Ministry’s announcement, the selection and swearing-in of the new Mufti marks the first comprehensive implementation of the modern institutional framework for the institution of the Muftiate in accordance with Law 4964/2022 (A’ 150).

The new Mufti of Didymoteicho, Emin Sherif, was born in 1967, is married and the father of four children. In addition to Greek, he speaks Arabic and Turkish. He was born in the village of Sidiro in the prefecture of Evros, Thrace, and in 1980 he went to Damascus where he studied at the Al-Furqan Institute. He was the first Greek Muslim to travel to Damascus for studies. After graduating in 1986, he completed his military service and then studied at the Islamic University of Medina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Since then, he has served as an Imam in Evros. In 2004, he was appointed by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports as an Imam to serve the religious needs of Muslim athletes during the Athens Olympic Games.

World War II was a time of untold suffering for Greece. The German, Italian and Bulgarian occupation forces caused immense destruction, mass executions, economic misery and national division. Although the German occupation is the best known and most studied, the Bulgarian administration in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (1941-1944) was equally, if not more, cruel. Bulgaria, with its eyes fixed on Macedonia and Thrace throughout its history, took advantage of the successful German invasion and occupation of Greece to realize old expansionist ambitions. The occupation and administration of these areas constituted an organized effort to Bulgarize, to systematically corrupt the population, and to terrorize the Greek element.

The entry of the Bulgarians and the legal framework of the occupation
After the German invasion of Greece in April 1941, the Nazis “ceded” Eastern Macedonia and Western Thrace to Bulgaria as a reward for its participation on the Axis side. Although officially the Germans spoke of a “temporary Bulgarian administration” and not of a definitive annexation, Sofia considered the occupation permanent and hastened to incorporate the regions into the Bulgarian state.

The occupation zone initially extended from the Strymon River to the Alexandroupolis–Svilengrad line, covering an area of ​​over 14,000 square kilometers. In the summer of 1943, the Germans allowed the expansion of the Bulgarian military presence to Chalkidiki, but not to Thessaloniki. On May 3, 1941, the Bulgarian cabinet created the so-called "Aegean Administration" based in Xanthi, Thrace, while shortly afterwards the annexation of these areas to Bulgaria was announced.

Bulgarization plan
The occupation was not limited to military control. Sofia's goal was complete ethnological, linguistic and cultural transformation. To achieve this, harsh measures were implemented in three main areas: Church, education and public administration.

Church
The Greek clergy were expelled or murdered; it is estimated that 63 metropolitans and priests were displaced, while 58 were executed. The metropolises of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace were incorporated into the Bulgarian Exarchate. Divine liturgies and services had to be performed in Bulgarian, and the calendar and the liturgical instructions were replaced by Bulgarian standards. Valuable relics, icons and vestments were looted from churches and monasteries.

Education
The operation of Greek schools was banned, while Armenian, Turkish and Jewish schools remained open. The Greek language was strictly forbidden; Bulgarian was established as the official language, and was mandatory for use by civil servants and shopkeepers. Even the inscriptions on tombstones were Bulgarized. At the same time, dozens of Bulgarian schools were established with staff coming from Bulgaria, receiving higher salaries in comparison to other civil servants.

Public administration
Greek officials were removed from public administration, services and funds were confiscated, and positions were filled by Bulgarians. Place names were changed to Bulgarian, while citizens were pressured to even change their names.

Economic bloodletting
Bulgaria's economic policy aimed at the extermination of the Greek element and the enrichment of the settlers. Houses, fields, forests and pastures were confiscated. Greeks were taxed arbitrarily, with taxes that often reached or exceeded the value of their property.

Agricultural production was strictly controlled: farmers were obliged to deliver up to 90% of their harvest. Tobacco was purchased at humiliating prices, while Bulgarian merchants enjoyed complete freedom.

Doctors, pharmacists and lawyers were barred from practicing their profession. Food and animals were requisitioned without any compensation.

Hunger and malnutrition quickly reached dramatic proportions, while the Bulgarians banned the visit of the International Red Cross in order to hide the situation.

Population changes and forced displacements
Since March 1941, even before the Bulgarians entered, about 60,000 Greeks left the region, fearing the worst. By 1944, it is estimated that 170,000-200,000 Greeks had left Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, a particularly high percentage compared to the total population (875,000).

Thousands were taken to forced labor, in the so-called "Labor Battalions." The experience there was tantamount to extermination: long hours of work in miserable conditions, little food and abuse. At the same time, the Bulgarians settled about 100,000 settlers, who took over the homes, fields and property of the Greeks.

The issue of the Jews was particularly tragic. In March 1943, Bulgarian authorities arrested 4,200 Jews from Thrace and Eastern Macedonia and handed them over to the Germans. All were taken to extermination camps in Poland, where they perished.

Atrocities and repression
The daily life of Greeks under Bulgarian occupation was filled with terror. Arrests for trivial reasons, such as using the Greek language or finding a Greek flag. Rapes, robberies and torture by soldiers and settlers. Restrictions on movement after 8 pm. Rationing of food: just 200 grams of cornbread per day for adults and 100 grams for children.

The Drama Uprising of September 1941 led to massive reprisals: 2,500-3,000 civilians were executed, including 350 men in Doxato. This large-scale massacre is remembered in Greek history as one of the darkest moments of the Bulgarian occupation.

The Resistance
Despite the terrorism, the resistance was quickly organized by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). In the summer of 1941, the communist organization "KKE Drama" formed an armed group in Chaldag (Gr: Ori Lekanis). On September 28, 1941, the first coordinated attacks in the city of Drama and the surrounding villages took place. The Bulgarian response was the massacre of thousands of Greek civilians.

From 1942, guerrilla groups began to operate in Pangaio, Falakro and the forests of Elatia. In 1943, the 26th ELAS* Regiment was formed in the area.
(*ELAS is the acronym for the communist Greek People's Liberation Army)

At the same time, the Pontic Greek chieftains formed their own groups, which later merged into the EAO (National Guerrilla Groups), under Antonis Fostirides (aka by the nom de guerre "Anton Tsaous"). The EAO periodically collaborated with ELAS, but often clashed with it.

The most significant battle with the Bulgarians was at the Papadon Bridge (May 1944), where the EAO fought fiercely against the occupying forces.

The Bulgarian withdrawal
Until the summer of 1944, Sofia still hoped for "de jure" annexation of the Greek territories it occupied. However, with the advance of the Red Army and the overthrow of the pro-Nazi regime in Bulgaria, things changed. On 9 September 1944, power passed to the Patriotic Front and on 28 September an armistice was signed with the Allies.

The withdrawal of the Bulgarian troops was completed on 25–26 October 1944, after pressure from the British, Soviets and Americans. The last Bulgarian settlers left a few months later.

Post-war claims and impunity
At the Paris Peace Conference (1946), Bulgaria requested not only that it not be subject to sanctions, but also that Western Thrace be ceded to it. The request was supported by the Soviet Union and some of its satellites, but was rejected. Greece, despite the suffering it endured, did not manage to gain territorial benefits from the Bulgarian aggression, as the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) had already broken out throughout Greece and the Allied Powers were reorienting their policies to other issues.

Bulgaria never paid reparations for the crimes it committed. It is estimated that 30,000 Greeks were killed in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace in the period 1941-44, 10,000 were taken hostage to Bulgaria, while over 100,000 were forced to work in Labor Battalions. Thousands died of hunger and disease.

Conclusion
The Bulgarian occupation of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace was a dark page during the Triple Occupation of Greece; it is lesser known than the German atrocities, but equally as bloody. The methods of Bulgarization, the violent deportations, the plundering of the economy and the attempt to alter the identity of the population demonstrate that Sofia did not act as a temporary administrator, but as a would-be conqueror.
​
Despite the losses and sacrifices, the Greek national identity did not bend. The guerrilla war, the reactions of the population and the final withdrawal of the Bulgarians proved that Macedonia and Thrace were not prepared to submit to any foreign occupation.

Future generations must never forget the victims and must discuss these horrific events. History must not be forgotten, because only in this way can such crimes be prevented.

The Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Sofia Zacharaki, visited last Friday, August 1, 2025, the village of Roussa in the Municipality of Soufli in Evros, where the headquarters of the Bektashi Alevis of Thrace committee is located, to participate, at their invitation, in the opening ceremony of the three-day festive events "HILIA 2025".

The visit took place a few hours after the Greek Parliament voted in favor, with a large majority, of the regulation brought by the government for the recognition of the Bektashi Alevis as a legal entity under private law.

"Today is a great day. The Greek Parliament, the Greek nation recognized you, the Bektashi Alevis. I want to convey to you the wishes of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis but also of the Parliament that voted with party politics aside. They recognize your history, your faith, and your culture. They recognize that you have a place in the light, with pride for who you are. And, let me repeat, this was done by the Greek Parliament. It is the greatest honor that happened to you today because it was given not by the decision of a Minister but by the entire Greek nation,” said the Minister of Education, speaking to the residents of Roussa.

And she continued:

“When this effort began, I don’t know how many of you believed that the day of vindication would come. That day has come and it is today. Here. Now. For me personally, it was a particularly moving moment when I heard Ahmet and Ayse speak in Parliament. Their words were words taken from the hearts of all of you. Their grief was the grief of all of you. Thanks to you, we learned that there is a Tekke here, which is one of the two most important centers of the Bektashi Alevi Muslims. Thanks to you, we spoke again about Roussa and the neighboring villages. Thanks to you, we also spoke about the importance of Evros - and [it's importance] for me personally. You know that I have been involved with the prefecture for many years and in all the positions that I have served and am serving - for demographics, and housing, for the issue of schools, for the issue of tourism,” said Mrs. Zacharaki.

Concluding, she pointed out:

“Greece shows us that we are united by much. There is much less that divides us. Greece is here for all of us. We are united by much more than what divides us. Greece unites us because we are all its citizens. Democracy unites us because we all have the same rights and obligations. Freedom unites us, hope unites us.”

In her speech, Mrs. Zacharaki warmly thanked the MP, and former minister and rapporteur of the bill, Mr. Angelos Syrigos, who accompanied her to Roussa, underlining the long and close relationship he maintains with the region and in his capacity as a a professor.

“As soon as we finished voting and before the votes were even counted, the Minister told me we were leaving now. And we left in order to be able to come to this celebration. Because I feel a little bit like a local, I want to thank you very much for making this move [to invite us]. We have the Treaty of Lausanne that protects your rights and those of you who are Bektashi Alevis now have another protection: the one voted by the Greek Parliament. Your children will be able to freely learn your faith in schools, to protect your own places...to protect the Roussa tekke and the sacred monuments. This is what the Greek State did. Let us remember it,” stated Mr. Syrigos. He further emphasized that "the tekke of Roussa never ceased to function as a place of prayer."

The visit to Roussa began with a guided tour of Sofia Zacharaki and Angelos Syrigos, by the chairman of the Bektashi Alevi committee, Mr. Ahmet Kara Hussein Ahmet, of the historic tekke of Seget Ali Sultan, the most important Center of Alevism in the Balkans and the second largest in the world. "Today we do not walk, we fly" was Ayse's phrase that summed up the joy and emotion of the Bektashi Alevis for the historic decision of the government to recognize them. The Minister of Education warmly thanked the residents of Roussa for the moving welcome and also referred to the contribution of the Secretary General of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Giorgos Kalantzis, who played an important role in the institutional initiative for the recognition of the Bektashi Alevis.

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Θράκη: Αναγνωρίζεται η θρησκευτική κοινότητα των Μπεκτασήδων Αλεβιτών Μουσουλμάνων ως νομικό πρόσωπο από την Ελληνική Βουλή

Η Υπουργός Παιδείας, Θρησκευμάτων και Αθλητισμού Σοφία Ζαχαράκη επισκέφτηκε την Παρασκευή 1η Αυγούστου 2025 το χωριό Ρούσσα του Δήμου Σουφλίου στον Έβρο, όπου βρίσκεται και η έδρα της επιτροπής των Μπεκτασήδων Αλεβιτών της Θράκης για να συμμετάσχει μετά από πρόσκλησή τους, στην τελετή έναρξης των τριήμερων εορταστικών εκδηλώσεων «ΧΙΛΙΑ 2025».

Η επίσκεψη πραγματοποιήθηκε λίγες ώρες αφότου η Βουλή υπερψήφισε με ευρεία πλειοψηφία, τη ρύθμιση που έφερε η κυβέρνηση για την αναγνώριση των Μπεκτασήδων Αλεβιτών ως νομικής προσωπικότητας ιδιωτικού δικαίου.

«Σήμερα είναι μια μεγάλη μέρα. Η Ελληνική Βουλή, το ελληνικό έθνος αναγνώρισε εσάς τους Μπεκτασήδες Αλεβίτες. Θέλω να σας μεταφέρω τις ευχές του πρωθυπουργού Κυριάκου Μητσοτάκη αλλά της Βουλής που ψήφισε πάνω από κόμματα πέρα από τα κόμματα. Αναγνώρισε την ιστορία σας, την πίστη σας, τον πολιτισμό σας. Αναγνώρισε ότι έχετε μια θέση στο φως με υπερηφάνεια γι' αυτό που είστε. Και, επιτρέψτε μου να το επαναλάβω, αυτό το έπραξε η Ελληνική Βουλή. Είναι η μεγαλύτερη τιμή για σας αυτό που έγινε σήμερα γιατί το έδωσε όχι η απόφαση μιας Υπουργού αλλά ολόκληρο το ελληνικό έθνος» ανέφερε η Υπουργός Παιδείας μιλώντας στους κατοίκους της Ρούσσας.

Και συνέχισε:

«Όταν ξεκίνησε αυτή η προσπάθεια δεν ξέρω πόσοι από εσάς πιστεύατε ότι θα έλθει η μέρα της δικαίωσης. Η μέρα αυτή ήλθε και είναι σήμερα. Εδώ. Τώρα. Για μένα προσωπικά ήταν ιδιαίτερα συγκινητική η στιγμή που άκουσα τον Αχμέτ και την Αϊσέ να μιλούν στην Βουλή. Τα λόγια τους ήταν λόγια βγαλμένα από την καρδιά όλων σας. Ο καημός τους ήταν ο καημός όλων σας. Χάρη σε εσάς μάθαμε ότι εδώ υπάρχει ένας Τεκές που είναι το ένα από τα δύο σημαντικότερα κέντρα των Μπεκτασήδων Αλεβιτών Μουσουλμάνων. Χάρη σ’ εσάς μιλήσαμε ξανά για τη Ρούσσα για τα διπλανά χωριά. Χάρη σε εσάς μιλήσαμε και για τη σημασία που έχει ο Έβρος. Και για μένα προσωπικά. Ξέρετε ότι έχω ασχοληθεί με τον νομό πολλά χρόνια και από όλα τα πόστα που υπηρέτησα και υπηρετώ. Για το δημογραφικό, και στη στέγαση, για το θέμα σχολείων, για το θέμα του τουρισμού» ανέφερε η κυρία Ζαχαράκη.

Καταλήγοντας επισήμανε:

«Η Ελλάδα μας δείχνει ότι μας ενώνουν πολλά. Μας χωρίζουν πολύ λιγότερα. Η Ελλάδα είναι εδώ για όλους μας. Μας ενώνουν πολύ περισσότερα απ’ όσα μας χωρίζουν. Μας ενώνει η Ελλάδα γιατί είμαστε όλοι πολίτες της. Μας ενώνει η Δημοκρατία γιατί έχουμε όλοι ίδια δικαιώματα και υποχρεώσεις. Μας ενώνει η ελευθερία, μας ενώνει η ελπίδα»

Στην ομιλία της η κυρία Ζαχαράκη ευχαρίστησε θερμά τον βουλευτή, πρώην υπουργό και εισηγητή του νομοσχεδίου, κ. Άγγελο Συρίγο ο οποίος τη συνόδευσε στη Ρούσσα, υπογραμμίζοντας και τη μακρά και στενή σχέση που διατηρεί με την περιοχή και με την ιδιότητα του καθηγητή.

«Μόλις τελείωσαμε την ψηφοφορία και πριν ακόμη καταμετρηθούν οι ψήφοι, η Υπουργός μου λέει φεύγουμε τώρα. Και φύγαμε για να προλάβουμε να έρθουμε σε αυτή τη γιορτή. Επειδή αισθάνομαι και λίγο ντόπιος, θέλω να σας ευχαριστήσουμε πολύ που κάνατε αυτή την κίνηση. Έχουμε τη Συνθήκη της Λωζάνης που προστατεύει τα δικαιώματά σας και όσοι είστε Μπεκτασήδες Αλεβίτες έχετε ακόμη μια προστασία: αυτή που ψηφίστηκε από τη Βουλή των Ελλήνων. Θα μπορούν τα παιδιά σας ελεύθερα να μαθαίνουν στα σχολεία την πίστη σας, να προστατεύετε τους δικούς σας τόπους. Να προστατεύετε τον τεκέ της Ρούσσας και τα ιερά μνημεία. Αυτό το έκανε η ελληνική Πολιτεία. Να το θυμόμαστε» τόνισε στην ομιλία του και ο κ. Συρίγος επισημαίνοντας με έμφαση ότι «ο τεκές της Ρούσσας δεν έπαψε ποτέ να λειτουργεί ως χώρος προσευχής.»

Η επίσκεψη στη Ρούσσα ξεκίνησε με ξενάγηση της Σοφίας Ζαχαράκη και του Άγγελου Συρίγου, από τον πρόεδρο της επιτροπής των Μπεκτασήδων Αλεβιτών κ.Αχμέτ Καρά Χουσεϊν Αχμέτ στον ιστορικό τεκέ του Σεγήτ Αλή Σουλτάν, το πλέον σημαντικό Κέντρο του Αλεβιτισμού στα Βαλκάνια και το δεύτερο παγκοσμίως. «Σήμερα δεν περπατάμε, πετάμε» ήταν η φράση της Αϊσέ που συνόψισε τη χαρά και τη συγκίνηση των Μπεκτασήδων Αλεβιτών για την ιστορική απόφαση της κυβέρνησης να τους αναγνωρίσει. Η Υπουργός Παιδείας ευχαρίστησε θερμά τους κατοίκους της Ρούσσας για τη συγκινητική υποδοχή και αναφέρθηκε και στη συμβολή του Γενικού Γραμματέα Θρησκευμάτων του Υπουργείου Παιδείας, Γιώργου Καλαντζή ο οποίος έπαιξε σημαντικό ρόλο στην θεσμική πρωτοβουλία για την αναγνώριση των Μπεκτασήδων Αλεβιτών.

The Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is taking an important step towards extroversion, vying to claim the top distinction of "Europe's Leading Emerging Destination 2025" at the World Travel Awards, the most recognized institution of the international tourism industry.

This year's nomination brings Eastern Macedonia and Thrace among a total of 10 emerging destinations from across Europe: Austria (Bad Ischl), Portugal (Baião and Sines), Slovenia (Ljubljana), Italy (Matera), Croatia (Mljet), Poland (Bydgoszcz), Bulgaria (Bansko) and Estonia (Tartu). The Region's inclusion in this list proves that Eastern Macedonia and Thrace has ceased to be "Greece's well-kept secret" and is now transforming into a strong and distinctive brand in the European tourism landscape.

At a time when the travel world is looking for authentic experiences, experiential routes and unexplored corners with identity, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is a multi-thematic, four-season destination with rare diversity.

The Regional Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Mr. Christodoulos Topsidis, stated:

"Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is ready to distinguish itself by proposing something authentic and substantial. A destination where the landscape changes from sea to mountain within a few kilometers, where history comes alive and hospitality is an everyday practice. Today we ask for the support of all those who believe that Greece also has new, emerging voices in European tourism. We vote, we share and we proudly show our place to the world."

Public voting for the World Travel Awards is open until September 7, 2025 where everyone can support Eastern Macedonia and Thrace with their vote at the link below:

https://www.worldtravelawards.com/vote-for-region-of-eastern-macedonia-and-thrace-greece-2025

Note: In order to vote, you must create an account with World Travel Awards.


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Η Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη διεκδικεί κορυφαία διάκριση στην Ευρώπη - Υποψήφια για «Europe’s Leading Emerging Destination 2025»

Η Περιφέρεια Ανατολικής Μακεδονίας και Θράκης κάνει ένα σημαντικό βήμα εξωστρέφειας, διεκδικώντας την κορυφαία διάκριση «Europe’s Leading Emerging Destination 2025» στα World Travel Awards, τον πλέον καταξιωμένο θεσμό της διεθνούς τουριστικής βιομηχανίας.

Η φετινή υποψηφιότητα φέρνει την Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη ανάμεσα σε 10 συνολικά ανερχόμενους προορισμούς από όλη την Ευρώπη: την Αυστρία (Bad Ischl), την Πορτογαλία (Baião και Sines), τη Σλοβενία (Ljubljana), την Ιταλία (Matera), την Κροατία (Mljet), την Πολωνία (Bydgoszcz), τη Βουλγαρία (Bansko) και την Εσθονία (Tartu). Η ένταξη της Περιφέρειας σε αυτήν τη λίστα αποδεικνύει ότι η Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη έχει πάψει να είναι «το καλά κρυμμένο μυστικό της Ελλάδας» και μετατρέπεται πλέον σε ισχυρό και διακριτό brand στο ευρωπαϊκό τουριστικό τοπίο.

Σε μια περίοδο όπου ο ταξιδιωτικός κόσμος αναζητά αυθεντικές εμπειρίες, βιωματικές διαδρομές και ανεξερεύνητες γωνιές με ταυτότητα, η Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη αποτελεί έναν πολυθεματικό, τεσσάρων εποχών, προορισμό, με σπάνια ποικιλομορφία.

Ο Περιφερειάρχης Ανατολικής Μακεδονίας και Θράκης, κ. Χριστόδουλος Τοψίδης δήλωσε:

«Η Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη είναι έτοιμη να διακριθεί προτείνοντας κάτι αυθεντικό και ουσιαστικό. Έναν προορισμό όπου το τοπίο αλλάζει από τη θάλασσα στο βουνό μέσα σε λίγα χιλιόμετρα, όπου η ιστορία ζωντανεύει και η φιλοξενία είναι καθημερινή πράξη. Σήμερα ζητάμε τη στήριξη όλων όσοι πιστεύουν ότι και η Ελλάδα έχει νέες, ανερχόμενες φωνές στον ευρωπαϊκό τουρισμό. Ψηφίζουμε, μοιραζόμαστε και δείχνουμε με υπερηφάνεια τον τόπο μας στον κόσμο».

Η δημόσια ψηφοφορία για τα World Travel Awards είναι ανοιχτή μέχρι τις 7 Σεπτεμβρίου 2025 όπου ο καθένας μπορεί να υποστηρίξει την Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη με την ψήφο του στον παρακάτω σύνδεσμο:

https://www.worldtravelawards.com/vote-for-region-of-eastern-macedonia-and-thrace-greece-2025

Σημείωση: Για να ψηφίσετε, πρέπει να δημιουργήσετε έναν λογαριασμό με το World Travel Awards.