Turks from Drama (Greek occupied Macedonia)

[VMRO]

http://turkeymacedonia.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/turks-head-to-drama-to-trace-their-roots/

[Soldier of Macedon]

The northeastern Greek town of Drama has been experiencing a tourism boom as Turkish citizens head to the region to trace their historical roots, report local and national Greek newspapers. Prior to 1912, the Drama region’s population consisted of 24,640 Turks 19,600 Macedonians and 4,600 Greeks. The majority of the returning Turkish citizens’ ancestors left their homeland when Macedonia was occupied by Greece as a result of the Balkan Wars of 1912-13. “I came from Istanbul just to take some soil from Drama,” said visitor Husammetin Dalyan. “It was my father’s dream to come here and to take some soil.” The area surrounding Drama is the site of many Ottoman legends. Among these, it was said to be the birthplace of Hasan, known as the “Robin Hood” of the Ottoman Empire, who robbed the rich to give money to the poor. According to locals, many tourists from Turkey explore the area in search of the bridge that Hasan used as his hideout. The majority of tourists, however, characterize their trip as a “pilgrimage to their homeland” in which they seek to unravel family secrets or verify long-held myths. Today, the population of the municipality of Drama is more than 55,000, and members of the local community embrace this unique return of their compatriots. Greeks and Turks participate together in the daily activities on offer there. Municipality officials readily acknowledge the increasing interest of Turkish citizens in Drama and have even re-formulated the official Web site, www.drama.gr, translating it into both Greek and Turkish, making it the first official Greek Web site to publish information in Turkish.

VRMO, please post the article along with the link when you create these threads.