Δελτίο Τύπου

Florina / Lerin 23.10.07

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Bitola or Monastiri?...Florina or Lerin?...Istanbul or Constantinopole?

A few days ago an incredible incident occurred in Niki/Negochani Florina/Lerin at the border between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia.  

An Australian citizen wanted to visit Greece. When he arrived to the Greek border crossing, the police officers on duty at that time asked him where he was going. The Australian man answered "Lerin" (the Macedonian name for the town of "Florina").  They asked him again, only this time in a harsh manner, where he was going. He repeated spontaneously, "Lerin".  

After the second answer, they invited him inside the police offices to check on him, as they were very annoyed. Inside the office they started questioning him and performed a body search. The young terrorised man asked to make a telephone call and he called the Australian Consular office in Skopje. In about two hours, the Australian Consul was at the border crossing and the "feast" began. Magically, the police officers transformed into "angels" using words such as "please", "thank you", and "no problem" In the end, after the intervention of the Consul, the young man was "freed' but was so disappointed that he went back, no longer wishing to visit Greece.  

Same incidents had repeatedly occurred with citizens of the Republic of Macedonia when they wished to visit our country and "boldly" mentioned the toponyms in Macedonian.  

Indeed, for some people with visas, their entry into Greece has been denied and their visas have been cancelled cancelled, so they had to go through the time consuming and expensive (one fifth of their basic salary) procedure of having it re-issued.

Certainly, many Greek citizens when they visit Bitola ( Bitola is a city in the Republic of Macedonia close to the border with Greece) they use the name "Monastiri" (the name of the same city in Greek) and nobody makes an issue of it. Indeed, the friendly neighbors have put also a sign in the entrance of the Greek Consular office in Bitola, with the name "Monastiri", without any problem. We suppose that when Greek travelers visit Istanbul/Constantinople, the Turks do not send them back at the border crossing, neither they do pass them through body search nor do they psychologically intimidate them if they say "Constantinople" instead of "Istanbul".  

When finally, will we understand that the toponyms, the difference of language, the cultural variety is richness for a place, for a country?  

In more progressive and democratic countries in which a similar reality exists, the authorities do not prohibit the use of these toponyms, they do not harass foreign visitors who use the local toponyms in whatever language they wish. Instead the authoritieis in these places legislate the use of double and triple toponyms as a sign of respect for the culture of the people and the identity of the place.  

In Greece, we are still far…very far away from this…unfortunately.  

THE PRESS OFFICE

Document of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Related to the article - The obvious linguistic particularity (Eletherotypia, 18/11/06)