Northern Epirus

Northern Epirus (Greek: Βόρειος Ήπειρος, Vorios Ipiros, Albanian: Epiri i Veriut) is a term used to refer to those parts of the historical region of Epirus, in the western Balkans, that are part of the modern Albanian state. The term is used mostly by Greeks and is associated with the existence of a substantial ethnic Greek population in the region, as well as with political claims on the territory that were held by Greece and a Greek autonomous state during parts of the 20th century. The term is typically rejected by Albanians for its irredentist associations, although both countries lifted at 1987 the formal state of war and officially rejected any territorial claim against the other part.

Region

The term Epirus is used both in the Albanian and Greek language, but in Albanian refers only to the historical and not modern region.

For Albania, this region is part of several folkloric regions, like Laberia, Chameria and Southwest Albania.

Greek minority

Population

In Albania, Greeks are considered a "national minority". There are no reliable⁴ statistics on the size of any ethnic minorities in Albania. Although conducting a satisfactory census of ethnic minorities is one of the country's commitments to the European Union, the Albanian government is not going to conduct an official census. Some commentators allege that this is out of fear that a considerable part of the population will register themselves as Greek.⁵

According to data presented to the 1919 Paris Conference, the Greek minority numbered 120,000,⁶ and the last census to include data on ethnic minorities conducted in 1989 under the communist regime cites only 58,785 Greeks although the total population of Albania had tripled in the meantime.⁶However, the area studied was confined to the southern border, and this estimate is considered to be low. Under this definition, minority status was limited to those who lived in 99 villages in the southern border areas, thereby excluding important concentrations of Greek settlement and making the minority seem smaller than it is⁷. Sources from the Greek minority have claimed that there are up to 500,000 Greeks in Albania, or 12% of the total population at the time (from the "Epirot lobby" of Greeks with family roots in Albania).⁸

In a 1995 ethnological study, the number of ethnic Greeks in the Northern Epirus alone, are estimated at 40,000, while in the rest of the country there are further 20,000 Greeks.⁹ The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization estimates the Greek minority at approximately 70,000 people.¹⁰ Other independent sources estimate that the number of Greeks in Northern Epirus is 117,000 (about 3.5% of the total population),¹¹ a figure close to the estimate provided by The World Factbook (2006) (about 3%). But this number was 8% by the same agency a year before.¹²¹³

Impact on Albanian-Greek relations

Tensions between Greece and Albania over the treatment of the Greek population persisted well after the end of the World War II, the formal state of war between the two countries being lifted only as late as 1987. Relations reached a low point after the fall of Albania's Communist régime in 1991. In 1993 Albania deported the Greek Orthodox Archimandrite of Gjirokastër for what is described as seditious behaviour. The crisis in relations was exacerbated in late August 1994, when an Albanian court sentenced five members (a sixth member was added later) of the ethnic Greek political party "Omonoia" to prison terms of 6-8 years on charges of treason, because they demanded that Northern Epirus is granted to Greece, and for illegal carrying of arms ¹⁴. Greece responded by freezing all EU aid to Albania, sealing its border with Albania, and between August-November 1994, expelling over 115,000 illegal Albanian immigrants, a figure quoted in the US Department of State Human Rights Report and given to the American authorities by their Greek counterpart.¹⁵ In December 1994, however, Greece began to permit limited EU aid to Albania, while Albania released two of the Omonoia defendants and reduced the sentences of the remaining four.

Today, relations have significantly improved; Greece and Albania signed a Friendship, Cooperation, Good Neighbourliness and Security Agreement on 21 March 1996. Additionally, Greece is Albania's main foreign investor, having invested more than 400 million dollars in Albania, Albania's second largest trading partner, with Greek products accounting for some 21% of Albanian imports, and 12% of Albanian exports coming to Greece, and Albania's fourth largest donor country, having provided aid amounting to 73.8 million euros.¹⁶

Current situation and issues

In more recent years, tensions have surrounded the participation of candidates of the ethnic Greek Unity for Human Rights Party in Albanian elections. In 2000, the Albanian municipal elections were criticised by international human rights groups for "serious irregularities" reported to have been directed against ethnic Greek candidates and parties.¹⁷ The most recent municipal elections held in February 2007 saw the participation of a number of ethnic Greek candidates, with Vasilis Bolanos being re-elected mayor of the southern town of Himarë despite the governing and opposition Albanian parties fielding a combined candidate against him. Greek observers have expressed concern at the "non-conformity of procedure" in the conduct of the elections.¹⁸

99 villages, of the recognized by the Albanian state minority zone, in the geographical region of Northern Epirus use officially Greek as their principal language. There have been many minor incidents between the Greek population and Albanian authorities over issues such as the alleged involvement of the Greek government in local politics, the raising of the Greek flag on Albanian territory, and the language taught in state schools of the region; however, these issues have, for the most part, been non-violent.

Although relations between Albania and Greece have been greatly improved, the Greek minority in Albania, however, continues to suffer discrimination¹⁹²⁰ as the Albanian government has purged ethnic Greeks from appointed positions of power²¹ and continues to restrict²² the teaching of the Greek language.

History

19th Century to World War I

The key to understanding current conflicts in the area lies in the study of its 19th century history, which was the embryo of Balkan identities. The Treaty of Berlin of 1881 gave Greece parts of southern Epirus, but it was not until the First Balkan War of 1912-13 and the Treaty of London²³ that the rest of southern Epirus to joined Greece. The Treaty of Bucharest gave Northern Epirus to Albania at the end of the Second Balkan War²⁴. This outcome was unpopular among both Greeks and Albanians, as settlements of the two people existed on both sides of the border. When World War I broke out in 1914, Albania collapsed. Under a March 1915 agreement among the Allies, Italy seized northern Albania and Greece set up an autonomous Greek state of North Epirus in the southern part of the country. Although short-lived²⁵, the state of North Epirus left behind a substantial historical record. The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 awarded the area to Greece after World War I, however, political developments such as the Greek defeat in the Greco-Turkish War of 1921-22 and, crucially, Italian, Austrian and German lobbying in favor of Albania meant that Greece could not claim northern Epirus. The area was finally ceded to Albania in 1924.

Zog's Rule to World War II

The Albanian Government, with the country's entrance to the League of Nations (October 1921), made the commitment to respect the social, educational, religious rights of every minority²⁶. However, only a limited area (in the Districts of Gjirokastër, Sarandë and four villages in Himara region) was recognized as a Greek minority zone ²⁷. The following years, measures were taken to suppress²⁸ minority's education, Greek schools were either closed or forcibly converted to Albanian schools and teachers were expelled from the country. The number of schools reduced dramatically during this period:²⁹

With the League of Nations intervention (1935), a limited number of schools, and only of those inside the minority's recognize zone, reopened.

After World War II: Hoxha's regime

After World War II, Albania was governed by a Communist regime led by Enver Hoxha, which suppressed the minority (as the rest of the population) and took measures to disperse it or at least keep it loyal to Albania,³⁰ such as: pupils were taught only Albanian history and culture at primary level, the minority zone was reduced from 103 to 99 villages (excluding Himara), many Greeks were forcibly removed from the minority zones to other parts of the country (as a product of communist population policy, an important and constant element of which was to pre-empt ethnic sources of political dissent), Greek place-names were changed to Albanian names, Greeks were pressed enormously to change their names to true "Illyrian" names³¹, while use of the Greek language, prohibited everywhere outside the minority zones, was prohibited for many official purposes within them as well³²³³³⁴.

The state attempted to suppress any religious practice (both public and private),adherence to which was considered "anti-modern" and dangerous to the unity of the Albanian state. Christian Orthodox Church, which was a fundamental part of the minority's tradition and identity, was also persecuted. In 1967, the authorities conducted a violent campaign to extinguish ³⁵ religious life in Albania, claiming that it had divided the Albanian nation and kept it mired in backwardness. Student agitators combed the countryside, forcing Albanians and minorities, including the Greek one to quit practicing their faith. All churches, mosques, monasteries, and other religious institutions were closed or converted into warehouses, gymnasiums, and workshops. Clergy were imprisoned, owning an icon became an offense that could be prosecuted under Albanian law. The campaign culminated in an announcement that Albania had become the world's first atheistic state, a feat touted as one of Enver Hoxha's greatest achievements

Notable Northern Epirotes

Academics

Literature & Art

Military

Philanthropy

Politics

Religion

Sports

Gallery

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