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Resolution 1625 (2008)
Gökçeada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos): preserving the bicultural character of the two Turkish islands as a model for co-operation between Turkey and Greece in the interest of the people concerned
1. The Parliamentary Assembly warmly
welcomes the recent improvement in relations between Turkey and Greece,
which has stimulated a strong increase in economic and cultural
exchanges between the two states.
2. These improved relations have made it possible for the former
heads of the Greek and Turkish Assembly delegations, Elsa Papademetriou
and Murat Mercan, to undertake, in 2005, a historic visit to the
islands of Gökçeada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos), 
whose population has
suffered for too long from the consequences of political crises
between the two states and from economic difficulties.
whose population has
suffered for too long from the consequences of political crises
between the two states and from economic difficulties.3. The 2005 visit was followed by the joint presentation of the
motion which is at the origin of the present resolution. The small
number of inhabitants of the islands would make it possible to address
their problems outside the wider context of Greco-Turkish relations.
4. The Assembly finds that positive action by the Turkish authorities
to preserve the bicultural character of the two small Turkish islands
will not only be a tangible sign of Turkey’s respect for the rights
of its own citizens, but could also serve as a model for co-operation
between Turkey and Greece in the sole interest of the people concerned.
5. A positive attitude towards the ethnic Greek islanders and
their descendants would also be an excellent example of Turkey’s
willingness to embrace European values of good neighbourliness.
6. The Assembly regrets that as a consequence of various measures
taken by the authorities at that time (closure of all Greek community
schools on the islands, large-scale expropriations, maltreatment),
but also for economic reasons, the vast majority of the original
(ethnic Greek) inhabitants of the islands have emigrated, leaving
only about 250 members of this community on Gökçeada (Imbros) and
25 on Bozcaada (Tenedos), mainly elderly people. At the same time,
many thousands of former islanders and their offspring have demonstrated
their desire to maintain close links with their homeland by returning
regularly to their ancestral home for traditional celebrations,
family reunions and holidays and a number of them are seriously
considering resettling there either as retirees or as entrepreneurs.
Members of diaspora associations play an important role in assisting
the permanent residents in coping with the objective difficulties
they face.
7. Positive measures are now urgently needed in order to stem
or, at least partly, reverse the departure of the ethnic Greek population
so that the bicultural character of the islands can be sustainably
preserved.
8. The Assembly welcomes the fact that the Turkish authorities
have recently made a number of positive gestures, including:
8.1. the reconstruction of the bell
tower of the Greek community church of Bozcaada (Tenedos), following
the visit of the Turkish Prime Minister and at his express request;
8.2. the recent refurbishment of the Agios Nikolaos church
in Kaleköy (Kastro) on Gökçeada (Imbros);
8.3. the imminent (already approved and funded) restoration
of the island’s former cathedral church, Agia Marina, in the same
town;
8.4. the much-noted reassuring and helpful attitude of both
local sub-prefects (“Kaymakams”) towards the ethnic Greek population.
9. In order to increase this positive momentum, the following
additional measures are particularly urgent to consider:
9.1. to permit the re-opening of
at least one Greek community school on Gökçeada (Imbros), along the
lines of the Greek Orthodox community schools in Istanbul or the
Turkish Muslim community schools for the people of Turkish origin,
the Pomaks and the Roma in Western Thrace, as soon as a sufficient number
of ethnic Greek families with school-age children have committed
themselves to resettling on the island. The new school shall promote
biculturalism and offer Greek language and culture classes;
9.2. to return expropriated land and buildings to their previous
owners, whenever they are not, or are no longer, used for the public
purposes for which they were expropriated. When land cannot reasonably be
returned because it has been transferred to new inhabitants, the
previous owners should be offered equitable compensation, preferably
in the form of other state-owned land on the same island;
9.3. to return public buildings having belonged to the ethnic
Greek community (religious foundations and municipalities), as well
as religious foundations and their property, that were seized (as
“mazbut”) and placed under the direct administration of the Vakifs’
Directorate General;
9.4. to adopt specific measures that would ensure the return
(in areas where the cadastral revision process has been completed)
or the proper recording of community and family properties, including
the following:
9.4.1. to provide practical
access for all inhabitants of the islands and their descendants
to the Ottoman-era cadastral archives and the results of the survey
made for property tax purposes in 1936 and to admit such documents
as proof of ownership in the ongoing cadastral revision process;
9.4.2. to abolish the practice followed by the islands’ cadastral
officers and courts according to which ethnic Greek residents not
only have to prove – by witness statements – that they were in possession
of the land for at least twenty years, but also that they still
“exploit” the fields or houses at the time of application although
they were obliged to leave them “unexploited” for reasons that are
beyond their control;
9.4.3. to withhold the cadastral revision process that began
on the islands in 1996 until the adoption of the measures mentioned
in paragraphs 9.4.1 and 9.4.2 above, thereby sparing inhabitants
the expensive, time-consuming and aleatory court proceedings needed
to rectify an inaccurate administrative decision;
9.4.4. to provide for a period of ten years during which all
claims that were dismissed, whether by administrative process or
in court, will be reviewed under the new regime following simple, cost-effective
administrative procedures;
9.5. to apply the recent judgments of the European Court of
Human Rights upholding the inheritance rights of non-citizens to
all pending and future cases involving inhabitants of the islands
and their descendants, and to refrain from applying new restrictions
based on the perceived military-strategic importance of the islands
with respect to former islanders who have lost their Turkish citizenship,
and whose presence cannot conceivably have “strategic” significance;
9.6. to repair in due course the damage already done to the
natural and cultural heritage of the islands, in particular by taking
the following steps:
9.6.1. simplify
and speed up the procedure for owners of protected historical buildings
on both islands to obtain the required permits for their restoration
and reconstruction;
9.6.2. speedily grant the Greek Orthodox parish of Bozcaada (Tenedos)
the permit required for the restoration of the chapel of Agia Paraskevi
and issue proper ownership titles both in respect of this particular
chapel as well as all other property of the religious foundation;
9.6.3. review the permit given to the “Wind-Surf Club” built
in the sensitive natural habitat zone between the salt lake and
the Aegean Sea on the south-eastern coast of Gökçeada (Imbros);
9.6.4. ban any further excavations in the area of “Kaskavalia
Rocks” near the harbour of Kuzulimani (Agios Kyrikos) at Gökçeada
(Imbros) and repair the damage already done to this natural monument;
9.6.5. remove the unused, ruined concrete shack built by the
military on the scenic site of the former festivities area of the
village of Tepeköy (Agridia) known as Pinarbasi (Spilia) on Gökçeada
(Imbros) and make the whole area available once again for its original
purpose and fund the reconstruction of the Agia Marina chapel;
9.6.6. restore, as far as possible, the classical-era port of
Kaleköy (Kastro) on Gökçeada (Imbros), destroyed during the recent
construction of a modern marina on this site, and preserve the remnants
of the ancient Venetian/Byzantine-era castle overlooking the same
village;
9.6.7. maintain the original religious purpose of the newly restored
church of Agios Nikolaos in Kaleköy (Kastro);
9.7. to return Turkish citizenship to those islanders who lost
it in the past and to their descendants;
9.8. to establish a direct link, by sea, between Gökçeada (Imbros)
and Bozcaada (Tenedos), and between Gökçeada and Greece, also taking
into consideration its commercial viability;
9.9. to improve infrastructure facilities for the villages
on Gökçeada (Imbros) that are still settled by significant numbers
of ethnic Greek inhabitants – in particular, in Tepeköy (Agridia),
Dereköy (Schinoudi), Zeytinliköy (Aghii Theodori), and Eski Bademli
(Glyky).
10. In order to assist in the implementation of the measures recommended
above, and to promote the early detection of any other issues needing
to be addressed, the Assembly recommends the instauration of an informal
mechanism for regular dialogue (“round table”) involving the local
Turkish authorities and representatives of the two communities.
11. The Assembly also invites Turkey and Greece to initiate a
dialogue and consultation mechanism by which all the issues pertaining
to the respective minorities as stipulated by the Lausanne Peace
Treaty would be taken up in a bilateral context.
12. The Assembly invites its Monitoring Committee to include the
follow-up of the proposed measures (paragraph 9 above) in its post-monitoring
dialogue with Turkey.