One hundred years ago this month, a young reporter for the Toronto Star turned up in eastern Thrace to witness the exodus of Greeks, who had two weeks to move west of the Evros River, along with the Greek army, after the signing of an armistice ending the First World War in the Ottoman region.
“Twenty miles of carts drawn by cows, bullocks and muddy-flanked water buffalo, with exhausted, staggering men, women and children, blankets over their heads, walking blindly along in the rain beside their worldly goods,” Ernest Hemingway wrote in October 1922 from Adrianople, or present-day Edirne, near the Turkey-Greece border.
This rugged, mountainous peninsula has over the ages seen a vast array of troubled folk, so it should come as little surprise that a century later it is again the site of migrant misery. Just last week, Greek authorities discovered nearly 100 men huddling in a marsh along the border. Mainly from Afghanistan and Syria, they were not only hungry, exhausted and completely naked but many had also sustained injuries.
Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi shared a photo of the group on Twitter, blaming the incident on Turkey and calling it “a shame for civilisation“. His colleague Takis Theodorikakos, the Greek Minister for Civil Protection, said the Turkish government was to blame. Turkey has denied any involvement, while the UN Refugee Agency called for a full investigation.
Either side, or smugglers, could be to blame. Earlier this year, the Turkish government detained and deported hundreds of Syrians back to their homeland, in some cases beating and abusing them, according to a new report by US-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch.
As many as 400,000 Turks have left western Thrace in the past century
In an April report, meanwhile, Human Rights Watch detailed how Greece had been pushing migrants back into Turkey after taking away their phones, valuables and clothing before sending them on their way.
This latest incident highlights an element that has been largely overlooked amid the accusations between Ankara and Athens: the desperate suffering of millions of Syrians, Iraqis, Tunisians, Afghans, Iranians and others who fled instability and violence and have been seeking some semblance of stability and security for up to a decade.
Their plight has grown more difficult in the past year. Turkey is home to more than 4 million refugees and appears to be taking a nativist turn as locals increasingly blame outsiders for their economic troubles. Syrians face regular verbal and physical abuse in public and a recent short film denouncing their presence as a “silent invasion” went viral. Their living options are shrinking almost by the day: the government has barred foreigners from settling in more than 1,100 districts in nearly 60 cities.
Greece has hardly been a sanctuary in comparison. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described Greece as “Europe’s shield” on immigration, encouraging continued harsh policies along the border. Yet earlier this year, Mr Mitarachi said Ukrainians are “real refugees” and vowed to take in thousands of them.
Middle Eastern, African and South Asian migrants are increasingly unwelcome, and those who seek safe harbour elsewhere are less likely to end up living the good life in Europe than shivering and scared in a forest. Or worse: just last week, the bodies of two young Palestinian men washed up on a Greek beach. The men had tried to swim from Turkey.
Their troubles bring to mind another long-suffering community in the Turkey-Greece border region. North-eastern Greece is home to as many as 100,000 people of Turkish heritage whose culture and identity have been all but erased. Turks first arrived in western Thrace when the Ottoman Empire conquered the region nearly seven centuries ago.
By the early 20th century, they represented the majority in areas such as Xanthi and Komotini, and in 1913 formed a provisional government that some consider the first Turkish Republic. But with the end of the First World War and Turkey’s defeat of Greece in its war for independence, followed by the population exchange detailed by Hemingway, the ground began to shift beneath their feet.
In 1955, in response to the pogroms against Greeks and other non-Muslim communities in Turkey, the Greek government decided that people of non-Greek origin who left the country with no intention to return would lose their Greek nationality. By 1998, when the law was repealed, some 60,000 Greek Muslims, mainly Turks, had lost their citizenship.
Since the 1980s, Athens has referred to them as Greek Muslims. This is due to fears of the area becoming a “second Cyprus” or being ceded to Turkey. Any domestic organisation that includes the word “Turk” or “Turkish” in its name is shut down, with Greek courts arguing that those words refer to citizens of Turkey, not Greece, and could thus endanger public order.
As many as 400,000 Turks have left western Thrace in the past century, while those who remain face severe curbs. Some years ago, Human Rights Watch highlighted "a hodge-podge, neglected, and woefully inadequate educational system for the Turkish minority".
Much of this echoes Turkey’s treatment of its Kurds, a much larger population, and the experience of Pontic Greeks, who were forced to leave en masse upon the creation of the Republic of Turkey and now number just 5,000 in Turkey’s Black Sea region.
But the Kurds are widely lionised and championed in the West, and the Greek exodus and mass killings during the Greco-Turkish war have gained considerable international sympathy in recent decades, so the suffering of these peoples has at least gained wider notice.
The story of Turkish Greeks, on the other hand, has been largely ignored, which may have cost us. German researchers recently discovered thousands of 14th-century Ottoman manuscripts at Pantokrator, an Orthodox Christian monastery on Mount Athos, some 50 kilometres into the Aegean from the western Thrace resort of Kavala.
They reveal that the conquering Turks protected the region and preserved its autonomy, allowing the monks to continue their rites and practices as they had for centuries. Father Theophilos, a Pantokrator monk helping with the research, said the Ottoman documents illustrate “how people can live with each other” and lay out “the principles of social co-existence”.
Sounds like principles we could use today.
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Common%20symptoms%20of%20MS
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EFatigue%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3Enumbness%20and%20tingling%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ELoss%20of%20balance%20and%20dizziness%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStiffness%20or%20spasms%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETremor%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPain%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBladder%20problems%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBowel%20trouble%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVision%20problems%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EProblems%20with%20memory%20and%20thinking%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Scores
Day 2
New Zealand 153 & 56-1
Pakistan 227
New Zealand trail by 18 runs with nine wickets remaining
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
The Bio
Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.
Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.
Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.
Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.
Jumanji: The Next Level
Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas
Two out of five stars
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQureos%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E33%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESoftware%20and%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 100 ) US$175,000 1,200m
Winner: Baccarat, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (78-94) $60,000 1,800m
Winner: Baroot, Christophe Soumillon, Mike de Kock
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 $200,000 1,600m
Winner: Heavy Metal, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.15pm: Handicap (95-108) $125,000 1,200m
Winner: Yalta, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 $200,000 1,800m
Winner: Promising Run, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,800m
Winner: Blair House, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,400m
Winner: Oh This Is Us, Tom Marquand, Richard Hannon
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
RESULTS
Argentina 4 Haiti 0
Peru 2 Scotland 0
Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0
THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204-cylinder%202.5-litre%20%2F%202-litre%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20188hp%20%2F%20248hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20244Nm%20%2F%20370Nm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%207-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20now%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh110%2C000%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
