Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Patriarch: Many Greeks Prefer to Live in Turkey; Says Some Greeks Have Family Roots in Turkey

Many Greek citizens are looking to move to Turkey due primarily to the dire economic situation in Greece, Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew said yesterday, the Hurriyet Daily News (Turkish) website reports today (February 19, 2013).

According to Patriarch Bartholomew -- spiritual leader of the world's 400 million Orthodox Christians -- both Greeks who left Turkey in the past, as well as those with familial roots in the country, are seeking to go east to live in Turkey.

"Although Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan invites the Greeks of Istanbul origin, it is not easy for them to return. But I wish they would return. In Athens, there is a federation for those who are of Istanbul origin. The federation demands the return of their citizenship from the Turkish government," Bartholomew said.

Turkish citizenship could be granted to them in order to encourage their migration to Turkey, he said, but added that the move would not be enough on its own because those who have departed now possess no land or real estate in Turkey.

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