Velika Popovska 64 year old woman turned away from Greek border 10th July 2012

[Risto the Great]

Velika Popovska, from Adelaide Australia, 64 year old woman born in selo Dolno Kotori, Aegean Macedonia was turned away from the Greek border 10th July 2012. She was not allowed entry to see her ancestral homeland and relatives in Greece.

This woman is not an enemy of Greece. She is best described as a "tourist" and we are seeing an alarming trend in Greece in recent times. Are they really scared of the older generation of Macedonians from Aegean Macedonia still?

This is both infuriating and disgusting.

[Phoenix]

Velika Popovska, 64 year old woman born in selo Dolno Kotori, Aegean Macedonia was turned away from the Greek border 10th July 2012. She was not allowed entry to see her ancestral homeland and relatives in Greece.

This woman is not an enemy of Greece. She is best described as a "tourist" and we are seeing an alarming trend in Greece in recent times. Are they really scared of the older generation of Macedonians from Aegean Macedonia still?

This is both infuriating and disgusting.

It happens all the time Risto, regardless what all these dickhead 'greek' apologists on this forum say...it even happens to people travelling with Australian passports...

[vodenka]

Velika Popovska, 64 year old woman born in selo Dolno Kotori, Aegean Macedonia was turned away from the Greek border 10th July 2012. She was not allowed entry to see her ancestral homeland and relatives in Greece.

This woman is not an enemy of Greece. She is best described as a "tourist" and we are seeing an alarming trend in Greece in recent times. Are they really scared of the older generation of Macedonians from Aegean Macedonia still?

This is both infuriating and disgusting.

There is no legal reason why she was not allowed entry in Greece, with no recent court verdict that prohibits her to do so.

[Phoenix]

There is no legal reason why she was not allowed entry in Greece, with no recent court verdict that prohibits her to do so.

vodenka, since when have "legal reasons" been the excuse for those dogs...sadly many 'greek' border officials are actually sellout 'nashi'...

[Daskalot]

Velika Popovska, from Adelaide Australia, 64 year old woman born in selo Dolno Kotori, Aegean Macedonia was turned away from the Greek border 10th July 2012. She was not allowed entry to see her ancestral homeland and relatives in Greece.

This woman is not an enemy of Greece. She is best described as a "tourist" and we are seeing an alarming trend in Greece in recent times. Are they really scared of the older generation of Macedonians from Aegean Macedonia still?

This is both infuriating and disgusting.

This seriously needs to be televised, bring a crew of journalists to the border crossing so they can document what happens, why is this not done?
German journalists would love this.
We need to reach out to the international news media, the world needs to know this!

[Daskalot]

There is no legal reason why she was not allowed entry in Greece, with no recent court verdict that prohibits her to do so.

You are in the perfect position to use this opportunity to your advantage, contact media so it gets media coverage.
Media is your friend.

[Zakynthian]

@Daskalot

Greek side of the border is a millitary zone, no journalists allowed to practice their profession there unless they have a license from the 3rd corps of hellenic army to do this. any journalistic material found can be seized anytime.
German journalists have their own skeletons in their closets regarding ethnic minorities (upper lusatia sorbs, bavarian bohemians etc.) which are not constitutionaly recognized, I'm afraid they won't react (however, an invitation is worth)
If there is no legal reason (for example: persona non grata or invalid travel documents) the lady can contact the GHM, PObox 51393, GR 14510 Kifissia/Athens and denounce the incident.

[George S.]

No excuse for this treatment at all.I remember tourisrsts from perth had their passporst ripped up because place of birth was abbreviated mk or whatever the border people spat on the passports screwed them up threw them away.These were australian passports.

[vodenka]

If the lady is a Macedonian citizen, the Macedonian Foreign Office should immediately protest to the Greek government through the consular office in Skopje. Good neighbouring relations cannot be one way claim and illegal practices by Greece must be stopped. This is a political choice by Greece to create problems to Macedonian citizens travelling to Greece because this serves the greek political system to keep on the "enemy" issue with Macedonia for their petty internal political agenda. Enough is enough!

[George S.]

if it gets reported to the media prople will stop visiting.

[Daskalot]

if it gets reported to the media prople will stop visiting.

What are you saying?
If so why would they stop visiting?

[Egejska]

If the lady is a Macedonian citizen, the Macedonian Foreign Office should immediately protest to the Greek government through the consular office in Skopje.

She is an Australian citizen. The Australian consulate should be immediately contacted instead - no chance on how effective it would be since the Greeks and Australians are in bed with each other......

[George S.]

if more people hear about whats happened the are not stupid they won't go for a holiday.But reporting it to the government.For example the oz govt complainng to athens.Reporting it to the media ok sounds fine but will have adverse effcts
of lesss people wanting to go to greece.Harrasing people because they are of macedonian descent is not a good thing as well for the tourist season.I would report it to the media to do greece tourist damage.Also the media finds out anyway eventually.

[Zakynthian]

Harrasing people because they are of macedonian descent is not a good thing as well for the tourist season.I would report it to the media to do greece tourist damage.

I completely agree with you that harrasing people is a very bad thing and no one should do this for anything but don't overestimate the macedonian contribution towards the greek tourism industry. Last year arrived 370,000 macedonians during the season out of 18,100,000 arrivals. 99% of them visited Northern Greece and most of them were free campers in Chalkidiki and Pieria carrying allmost everything from their homes. Authorities from Thessaloniki show a huge tollerance to this. ok I understand that everybody has a right for vacation for himself and his family, especially his kids, and I applaud anyone who is resiliently but free camping is of high cost for the state on the other hand.

Someone should read both sides of the coin before resulting and beeing strict.

[vodenka]

She is an Australian citizen. The Australian consulate should be immediately contacted instead - no chance on how effective it would be since the Greeks and Australians are in bed with each other......

I agree! And if the Australian consulate does not solve the problem, then the media in Australia should get involved.