NORTHERN NOTES - MARCH 2008

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THESSALONIKI 000026

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SMIG ECON MK GR
SUBJECT: NORTHERN NOTES - MARCH 2008

REF: A. THESSALONIKI 19


B. THESSALONIKI 24

C. THESSALONIKI 22

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Following is a summary of recent political and economic
developments in northern Greece:

PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS ON MACEDONIA NAME ISSUE


1. At the beginning of the month, a poll published in the
Sunday edition of local Makedonia, suggested that 92.7% of
Thessaloniki residents would support the use of a veto by the
Greek government vis-`-vis the Republic of Macedonia's accession
to the EU and NATO, in the absence of a mutually accepted
solution to the name issue. On March 05, two rallies were
organized in Thessaloniki on the issue. One was led by academic
Costas Zouraris, politician Stelios Papathemelis, and
Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Anthimos, and the other by the
far-right LAOS party (Ref A.) Both rallies were peaceful and
modestly attended (about 6,000 people attended each.) Speakers
criticized the government and called for a firmer stance in name
negotiations. Greek Independence Day (March 25) celebrations
included nationalistic appeals on the name issue, including
speeches and a parade at the border (with Republic of Macedonia)
village of Evzoni (Ref B.) About 40 students from two
Thessaloniki elementary schools were transported to the border
to march in the parade there and parading soldiers shouted
defiant slogans regarding the name issue. The event was attended
by around 100 people.

NUMBERS OF TIP ARRESTS, IDENTIFIED TRAFFICKING VICTIMS DECLINE
IN 2007


2. Local media reported that according to Hellenic Police data,
four trafficking victims were identified and 26 traffickers
arrested in Thessaloniki in 2007, compared to seven victims and
66 traffickers in 2006. The local Stability Pact office
confirmed the figures with regard to the victims. In a
high-profile trafficking case, a former mayor of the town of
Sapes (Rodopi, Thrace) was sentenced to two years in prison for
bribery and breach of duty. Along with several others, he was
found guilty for his role in the issuing of 173 fraudulent
documents, some of which facilitated the stay in the country of
female prostitutes (Ref C.) In a nationwide survey conducted by
Amnesty International, 62% of Greeks held the victims of
trafficking partly responsible for their predicament, as they
"use fake documents," often "work as prostitutes" and "do not
co-operate with the police for the arrest of their traffickers."


ANTI-NATO, ANTI-U.S. PROTESTS OUTSIDE THE U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL


3. In mid-March, a demonstration organized by PAME (labor union
affiliated with the Communist Party of Greece) to protest the
pension fund reform bill, stopped in front of the U.S. Consulate
General in Thessaloniki. Around 10,000 demonstrators shouted
anti-American slogans and then dispersed peacefully. On March
24 another demonstration, this time marking the 9th anniversary
of the NATO bombings in former Yugoslavia, was organized outside
the Consulate. About 200 participants shouted anti-American
slogans and then left without incident. Earlier in the day, a
photo exhibition of the bombings was held on the sidewalk
outside the Consulate and flyers asking for the "withdrawal of
occupation armies from the region" were distributed.

COUPLE ARRESTED IN THESSALONIKI FOR CD AND DVD PIRACY


4. Local media reported this month that a couple was arrested
in west Thessaloniki for CD and DVD piracy. The man was copying
the discs at home and his wife was selling them through her
store. A total of 1,056 DVDs, 3,783 CDs, 1,979 PC games, 651
Play Station disks and 2,044 pirated covers were found in their
possession and confiscated. Industry sources confirmed to post
the accuracy of the report.

HUGE LOSSES FOR BUSINESSES DUE TO WORK SLOWDOWN AT THE PORT OF
THESSALONIKI; PRIVATISATION BILL IS RATIFIED BY PARLIAMENT


5. On March 12, Parliament passed a bill authorizing private
long-term leasing of the Thessaloniki (and Piraeus) Cargo
Station. Only New Democracy representatives in Parliament voted
in favor, while the parties of the opposition spoke of a
"scandalous give-away of national assets." According to
Thessaloniki's prefect, a crippling work slowdown by port
workers protesting the privatization of the port's cargo
handling operation caused losses of about 1.2 million euros in
January for the port. The slowdown also forced exporters to use
neighboring countries' ports, in order to deliver their products
in time. Despite assurances from the Port Authority that every
effort is being made to keep it operating, 226 Northern Greek
businesses sent a protest letter warning of a lawsuit to the
Thessaloniki Port Authority, accusing it of not acting
effectively and thus creating huge financial losses. The

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bidding process for the Thessaloniki Cargo Station was extended
to May 15.


STRIKES IN PROTEST OF PENSION REFORM LEAVE GARBAGE IN STREETS
AND CREATE POWER BLACKOUTS


6. The Mayor of Thessaloniki V. Papageorgopoulos caused a stir
during a session of the Municipal Council, when he described
local strikes as "politically motivated." Thessaloniki, along
with most of Greece, has been badly affected by recent strikes
in both the public and private sectors, in reaction to the
introduction of a bill for the reform of pension funds. Rolling
power black outs and piles of garbage on the streets have been
the resultant problems attracting the most attention, in a
situation that is likely to repeat itself in the future.


ECHR RULES AGAINST GREECE'S RESTRICTION ON TURKISH NAME


7. The European Court of Human Rights unanimously upheld on
March 27 that Greece had violated Article 11 (freedom of
assembly and association) of the European Convention of Human
Rights, by refusing to grant legal status to two Muslim minority
associations in Thrace whose names include the word "Turkish".
Since 1984, Greek courts have refused to register the "Turkish
Association of Xanthi" and the "Cultural Association of Turkish
Women of the Region of Rodopi", on the grounds that the Treaty
of Lausanne recognized only a Muslim -as opposed to Turkish-
minority in the region. The Greek Court of Appeal of Komotini
claimed thus -in two separately tried cases-, that the titles of
the associations ran counter to public policy. Members of the
associations brought the case to the European Court in 2005.
The Court awarded the "Turkish Association of Xanthi"
compensation of 8,000, as there was also acknowledgement of
violation of Article 6, par.1 (right to a fair hearing within a
reasonable time). The Greek government has three months to
appeal the Court's decision.
YEE