Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09THESSALONIKI27
2009-05-08 07:29:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Thessaloniki
Cable title:  

NORTHERN NOTES - APRIL 2009

Tags:  ECON PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG SNAR SOCI GR TU 
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DE RUEHIK #0027/01 1280729
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P 080729Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0448
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 0327
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHIK/AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI 0491
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 THESSALONIKI 000027 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG SNAR SOCI GR TU
SUBJECT: NORTHERN NOTES - APRIL 2009

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Following is a summary of last month's major developments in
Northern Greece:

THESSALONIKI PORT TENDER CANCELED, STATE INVESTMENT ANNOUNCED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 THESSALONIKI 000027

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG SNAR SOCI GR TU
SUBJECT: NORTHERN NOTES - APRIL 2009

THESSALONI 00000027 001.2 OF 003


Following is a summary of last month's major developments in
Northern Greece:

THESSALONIKI PORT TENDER CANCELED, STATE INVESTMENT ANNOUNCED


1. (U) On April 1, the Thessaloniki Port Authority
announced the cancellation of an earlier tender for the
privatization of the port's Cargo Station. The decision
followed weeks of deliberations on how to proceed, after the
winning bidder Hutchison Whampoa withdrew its bid which was
valued at over 400m ($530m.) Shortly after, on April 15, the
GoG announced a 225m investment in the port of Thessaloniki,
aimed at increasing the handling of TEUs from the current
450,000 to 1,000,000 by 2014. Commentators stated that the
development signals the abandonment of the GoG's privatization
plans for the port. The GoG has also announced improvement
works for another 26 ports in the country, including the
deepening of the port of Alexandroupoli (near the Greek-Turkish
border.) That project's cost is estimated to be 23m ($30m.)

BUSINESS DELEGATION FROM GREECE VISITS KOSOVO


2. (U) On April 7, the Exporters' Association of Northern
Greece organized a business trip to Pristina, Kosovo for 55
local businessmen. In the course of the trip, the delegation
held over 800 meetings with businessmen from the neighboring
country, as well as with members of the government, including PM
Hashim Thaci. Local media reported that in 2008, Greece's
imports from Kosovo were worth 50m ($66m) while its exports to
Kosovo were worth around 70m ($93m.)

REDUCED WORK HOURS SPREAD IN NORTHERN GREECE


3. (U) On April 16, the Greek General Confederation of
Workers, an umbrella organization consisting of most of the
country's private sector trade unions, warned that by the end of
April, 700-800 people in Northern Greece (excluding
Thessaloniki) will have either been required to take a forced
leave or asked to work reduced hours. Local media also reported
that around 3,000 people were laid off in Thessaloniki, since

the beginning of the financial crisis.

PRESIDENT OF THE THESSALONIKI ZONE OF INNOVATION RESIGNS


4. (SBU) On April 22, the President of the Board of
Thessaloniki's Zone of Innovation Professor Iakovos Vasalos
resigned his position, reportedly citing irreconcilable
disagreements with the rest of the board. In particular, the
former President of the Innovation Zone mentioned the refusal by
the board to include in the Zone "successful institutions," such
as the Center for Research and Technology and the Technopolis
Business Park and also, the board's unwillingness to set modest
but realistic targets for the development of the project. The
establishment of the Thessaloniki Zone of Innovation was
ratified by Parliament in 2006 but has suffered considerable
delays since its inception, owing to political inconsistency,
bureaucracy and internal feuds. The current year is viewed as
critical and indicative of the initiative's ultimate prospects.

SENTENCES HANDED OUT FOR GREEK DAIRY BLACKMAIL SCANDAL


5. (U) On April 13, three people received suspended
sentences of five years and six months in prison each for the
attempted extortion of the northern Greek dairy company MEVGAL
in 2006. The defendants were also ordered to pay a 10,000
($13,000) fine each to the company. The three men, including
the former Director General of the Competition Committee, had
demanded a fee in excess of 2.5m ($3.3m) in order for the
company to escape a heavier forthcoming fine by the Committee.

AMBASSADOR SPECKHARD VISITS THESSALONIKI


6. (U) On April 15, Ambassador Speckhard paid a one-day
visit to Thessaloniki. During his visit, he met with GoG
officials, local "green" entrepreneurs and the staff and
students of the American Farm School. His visit was reported
upon extensively and factually by the local media.

MUSLIM MINORITY DEVELOPMENTS


7. (SBU) Minority Celebrates the Prophet's Birthday - On
April 20, the elected (not recognized by GoG) Muftis of Thrace
organized a major event to celebrate the birthday of Prophet
Mohamed. The event took place in the town of Xanthi, in a
municipal basketball stadium, and was attended by approximately
5,000 people. Local media as well as citizens' associations
criticized the Mayor of Xanthi for agreeing to the use of the
stadium by the elected muftis, despite the fact that they are
not officially recognized by the state. Present in the event

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were Turkish diplomats in Greece and Muslim clergy from Turkey,
Saudi Arabia and the Balkans.
Minority MPs Participate in Islamic Summit - The two Muslim MPs
elected in Greece, Tsetin Mantatzi and Ahmed Haciosman, last
month attended an Islamic Summit in Saudi Arabia. Thrace media
questioned their qualifications for attendance at the event as
they are representatives of a non-Muslim country and also
enquired about their role in the issuing of a statement
criticizing Greece's treatment of its Muslim minority.
"Turkish Union of Xanthi" Appeal Heard - On April 3, the Appeals
Court in Thrace heard the appeal by the "Turkish Union Of
Xanthi" against a decision made in 1986 that rendered the Union
"illegal," on the grounds that it included the adjective
"Turkish" in its name. [Note: In the Lausanne Treaty of 1923,
the minority of Thrace is defined as "Muslim" and therefore,
should not bear any national determinants. End Note] In March
2008, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against Greece on
the matter, citing "violation of the freedom of association."
The Appeals Court decision is expected in the next few months.

VIOLENT INCIDENTS SUMMARY


8. (SBU) On April 1, around 20 hooded individuals attacked
the room housing Aristotle University's main internet server and
smashed computers. The vandals fled the scene immediately
after. The University Rector asked in a letter addressed to the
Chief Prosecutor, for the Police's intervention, in the event of
a similar incident re-occurring. [Note: this process is
necessary, due to the existence of University Asylum in Greece.
End Note] On April 9, after a warning call, the Bomb Squad in
Thessaloniki discovered two Improvised Incendiary Devices (IID),
outside the two biggest churches of the city. Senior police
contacts told post that the bombs did not go off, because the
detonators were not properly connected to the gas canisters. On
April 11, 20-30 anarchists destroyed a traffic camera in
downtown Thessaloniki and set a Power Company switch box on
fire. Police arrived at the scene and detained one of the
culprits. On April 13, four parked vehicles belonging to
security companies were torched almost simultaneously in four
different neighborhoods of Thessaloniki. On the same day,
another two explosive devices were found under a private
security van. The driver of the van located them and they were
defused in time. On April 15, a group of 10 hooded individuals
attacked a Liberal Studies Center (affiliated with British
universities,) smashing the windows of a ground floor computer
lab, while it was in use. No arrests were made and no injuries
reported. On April 23 & 24, a series of arson attacks took
place in the town of Xanthi. The attacks targeted an ATM
machine, as well as the local Metropolitan - the Orthodox
equivalent of a Bishop - and Prosecutor's vehicles. A new
group, called the "Insurgent Struggle" claimed responsibility
for the attacks. Senior police contacts told post some arrests
have been made of young people with no criminal records. On
April 28, 600 anarchists passed by the Consulate without causing
any problems. They were heavily escorted by police, including
30 motorcycles of the new "Z" Force. It was the first time a
demonstration had been monitored in such a fashion.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS/SMUGGLERS ARRESTS


9. (U) On April 1, police arrested two Chinese immigrant
smugglers in Thessaloniki and one in the town of Katerini. The
ring possessed a package of 38 Chinese passports that were going
to be used to smuggle people into the country. Following an
apartment search, the police arrested two Chinese illegal
immigrants and a deposit account book with 85,000 ($114,000.)
On April 2, in Thrace, police arrested a Greek and a foreign
smuggler who, as coach drivers, were carrying six illegal
immigrants hidden in a coach. On April 3, on the Greek-Turkish
border, a Greek and a foreign smuggler were arrested for
smuggling three people into the country. On the same day, in the
same region, two foreign smugglers were arrested, along with the
eight illegal immigrants they were escorting. On April 9, on
the Greek-Turkish border, two smugglers and two illegal
immigrants were arrested at a bus station, shortly before they
boarded a bus heading to the hinterland. On April 18, near the
Greek-Turkish border, police arrested five smugglers and three
illegal immigrants.

NARCOTICS SEIZURE


10. (U) On April 10, in the north-western Prefecture of
Florina, border guards found and seized nine bags, containing a
total of 184 kg and 765 grams of cannabis. The guards found the
bags while chasing unidentified individuals, who eventually
managed to escape by crossing over into neighboring Albania.

PIRATED MOVIE DISCS CONFISCATED


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11. (U) On April 10, police arrested in Thessaloniki a video
club owner for copying and selling movies illegally from his
store. Police confiscated a total of 893 DVDs, as well as dozens
of pirated movie covers.
KING