The problems of the minority were discussed during the plenary session of the Greek Parliament

On 23 June 2008, Ahmet Haciosman, MP of PASOK political party from Rodopi district, made a speech during the debates on the draft law on “the General Framework of the Plan for Public Works and Sustainable Development” prepared by the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Environment in the Greek Parliament. Haciosman expressed criticism that although it had laid down the foundations for a versatile development, the concerning draft law did not touch in many aspects on the substance of the problems. He reminded also the existence of regions having low welfare, development and revenue level and negative development factor like Thrace, and while informing about the general characteristics of Rodopi region, Haciosman mentioned the deficiencies, needs and undertakings to be carried out.

The problems of the minority in the sectors of agriculture and infrastructure were underlined

Haciosman described in details the problems the minority had to face in the sectors of agriculture and infrastructure, and said that the draft law was pursuing a passive policy with regard to the city planning and rational disposition of the land. He stated that instead of bringing new proposals, the draft law kept the old regime. Reminding that Komotini had not grown since 1976, Haciosman pointed out that sources needed to be supplied by changing the actual legal regulation. Furthermore, he also mentioned the land registry problem in the Balkan arm of the Rodopi district and stated that although development programmes for the Balkan arm had been already announced, no participation could be succeeded due to the land registry problem. Haciosman also stated that the master plan for public works envisaged the formation of a Komotini-Alexandropolis axle in the region of Thrace, and Komotini as being the administrative centre of the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace should equally benefit from the development chances. Besides, he said that Komotini had become in the mean time a transit passing point in energy transport, and in order to transform it to an energy centre, sources were needed to be supplied.

Haciosman pointed out that preservation of the actual regime did not only delay the city planning works of the administration, but also hinder to reach effective results in meeting the demands for such as house or vacation spot, and stated that it was quite contradictory that the Master Plan for City Planning, which had been kept waiting since 1982, had not been approved yet. Lastly, he mentioned the appeal that the proposals, which were outlined by the Governorship of Rodopi with regard to “the General Framework of the Plan for Public Works and Sustainable Development” following the meeting attended by the leading persons of the Rodopi district, local authorities, intellectuals and representatives of the organizations in the region, should be considered.

Halit Habipoglu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), made a statement on the issue and said: “We appreciate very much the activities of the deputies of the minority in the Greek Parliament to defend and promote its interests. Expressing of the problems the minority face in the Parliament is no doubt quite effective for their solution.”


-unofficial translation from Turkish-


The Full Text of the Speech of Ahmet Haciosman, MP in the Greek Parliament

Dear Mr. President and colleagues,

While laying down the foundations for a versatile development, the draft law on “the General Framework of the Plan for Public Works and Sustainable Development” bears the characteristic of being a compass of development for many sectors. However, the regarding draft law, which is in general ambiguous and contains balderdash, does not touch in many aspects on the substance of the problems.

Like Thrace, there are regions having low welfare, development and revenue level and negative development factor. We should concentrate our attention and interest on these regions. Today here, I am going to try to supply you with information on the general characteristics of Thrace, especially on the Rodopi district I represent. My goal is to attain lasting outcomes within the framework of the Plan for Public Works and Sustainable Development by determining the deficiencies, needs and undertakings to be carried out.

Primarily, I am going to start with the agricultural sector. Then, as it is known, the economy of the Rodopi region is mainly dependent on agriculture, in particular on tobacco and cotton production. The General Plan for Public Works includes extreme ambiguous reports with regard to the agricultural and stock-raising sectors, and these do not suggest any solutions for the problems the present-day farmers face.

In the Rodopi region, where the members of the minority reside, the tobacco production is the only mainstay. Many of you possess very little information on the tobacco production. We struggle for not cutting of the subventions granted by the European Union and their unbroken continuation till 2013. Marian Fischer Boell, member of the European Commission responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development, stated during her visit to Greece in May 2008 that no one had broached her issue of tobacco for four years. The economy of the Rodopi region is dependent mainly on the low level income of the tobacco producers. Today, this income faces the risk to disappear, and the regional economy faces the risk to collapse.

Another problem existing in the Rodopi region is the inadequate infrastructure. In the half of the province, in particular in the Balkan arm, a serious inadequate infrastructure problem with regard to itinerary, water and illumination exists. There are villages without itinerary. I draw your attention. I am talking about border regions; about the regions having border with Bulgaria. These regions are becoming increasingly deserted since the young people refuse to stay in their villages which do not offer them any possibility. It is estimated that about two thousand young people from the Rodopi district work as seasonal workers in greenhouses in Netherlands due to the economic hopelessness. These people have left and are still leaving their homelands not because they wanted it, but because they were forced to do it.

By mentioning above the issues with regard to infrastructure, I would like to also underline that the draft law is pursuing a passive policy with regard to the city planning and rational disposition of the land. Instead of bringing new proposals, the old regime is being kept although it does not satisfy the most basic demands. Komotini is still keeping its particularity of being the only province capital which has not grown since 1976. If we really want to talk about the harmony with the European Union, sources needed to be supplied by changing the actual legal regulation.

It doesn’t matter how good the draft law is, but as long as the necessary fundaments are not provided, a new and modern master plan for public works cannot be realized at all. I would like to explain this by giving you an example. Recently, reorganizing works in the registry and cadastral offices have come into question. The Greek citizens from all over Greece are declaring their real estate in order to secure their property right.

Furthermore, he also mentioned the land registry problem in the Balkan arm of the Rodopi district and stated that although development programmes for the Balkan arm had been already announced, no participation could be succeeded due to the land registry problem.

When we return again to the Balkan arm, the residents of the Balkan arm of the Rodopi district do not possess title deeds for their homes and lands. These people cannot prove that the houses they live in and the lands they work on belong to them. Furthermore, they cannot demand for their subvention rights (dikeomata) and basic rights. Development programmes for the Balkan arm were announced, but no participation could be succeeded due to the land registry problem. And what is the result? This region was excluded from development.

The master plan for public works envisaged the formation of a Komotini-Alexandropolis axle in the region of Thrace. While such a proposal is reducing the importance of Komotini, it is bringing Alexandropolis to foreground. At this point, I would like mention that we are supporting the development of Alexandropolis and want that it benefits equally from the development chances. The problem has another origin. Considerin that Komotini is the administrative centre of the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, and also of Balkans, what will be its role according to the new draft law? This role is needed to be clarified.

In the mean time, Komotini is playing an important role in the energy sector, too. It is the transit passing point in energy transport to the west European countries. This role of Komotini should not be eliminated, and sources should be granted in order to transform it to an energy centre. Such a situation is available for the forwarding sector. The rail line of Thessalonica-Alexandropolis should gain the same attribute as of the international rail line of Thessalonica-Turkey. By this way, the maintenance problem of the railway net, which is not operational anymore, will be removed, and a new railway net, which possesses more functionality, will be created.

I would like to also say some words about the Master Plan for City Planning. The preservation of the actual regime did not only delay the city planning works of the administration, but also hinder to reach effective results in meeting the demands for such as house or vacation spot. It is quite contradictory that the Master Plan for City Planning, which has been kept waiting since 1982, has not been approved yet.

Before I finish, I would like to mention the meeting held on 21 April 2008, and attended by the leading persons of the Rodopi district, local authorities, intellectuals and representatives of the organizations in the region. At the concerning meeting, some opinions with regard to “the General Framework of the Plan for Public Works and Sustainable Development” were put into words. Afterwards, these were outlined by the Governorship of Rodopi. Today, I am submitting these proposals to the knowledge of the President in order that they are considered during the debates on possible amendments of the draft law. Thank you.