Greece–Syria relations
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Greece–Syria relations are bilateral relations between Greece and Syria. Greece has an embassy in Damascus and 3 honorary consulates (in Latakia, Tartus and Aleppo). Syria has an embassy in Athens.[1] Both countries are members of the Union of the Mediterranean, although Syria suspended its membership in 2011.[2] Both countries have many common interests and the historical, cultural and geographical relations that characterize their region.
Country comparison
[edit] Greece
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 Syria
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| Population | 10,482,487[3] | 18,604,031[4] |
| Area | 131,957 km2 (50,949 sq mi) | 185,180 km2 (71,500 sq mi) |
| Population Density | 97/km2 (250/sq mi) | 118.3/km2 (306.4/sq mi) |
| Capital | Athens | Damascus |
| Largest City | Athens – 3,059,764 | Damascus – 2,503,000[5] |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary republic | Unitary dominant-party semi-presidential republic |
| Current leader | President Katerina Sakellaropoulou Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis |
President Bashar al-Assad Prime Minister Hussein Arnous |
| Official languages | Greek | Arabic |
| Main religions | 90% Greek Orthodox (official), 3% other Christian, 4% no religion, 2% Islam, 1% other[6] | 87% Islam, 10% Christianity, 3% Druzism |
| Ethnic groups | 97% Greeks, 3% others | 75% Arabs 10% Kurds 15% Others (including Turkomans, Assyrians, Circassians, Armenians and Jews)[7][8] |
| GDP (nominal) | US$240,3 billion ($24,595 per capita) | US$22,4 billion,[9] ($1,265 per capita) |
Factors affecting relations
[edit]- The two countries were exposed to colonialism and occupation, which made their positions against the occupation.
- The history of the bad Syria–Turkey relations, where Turkey occupies large lands of Syria (the most important Liwa Iskenderun) and regarding the Kurdish issue and PKK, the historical enmity between Greece and Turkey on Constantinople and Cyprus, Patriarchate of Constantinople and the border problem and others make the Syrian-Greek rapprochement and joint cooperation an important strategic alliance for both countries.[10]
- Geographical proximity and the common cultural heritage between the two countries represented by Ancient Syria and the Greeks and Byzantine Empire. And the spread of culture and Greek language historically (where some rituals are still held in some churches in Syria are held in Greek)[11] and Phoenician civilization in Greece.[12]
History of relations
[edit]Ancient era
[edit]
Archaeological and historical evidence and documents indicate that the Syrian-Greek relations have started in the second millennium BC in general. The first contact between the two Mediterranean nations started with Cadmus introducing Phoenician Alphabet to Ancient Greece. In addition, Ugarit in Syria had also contact with Messinia and the Minoan civilization,[13] until it was destroyed by the Sea People.
Thirty Ugaritic letters, which is known as the Ugaritic alphabet invented by Syrians from Ugarit. This alphabet moved thanks to the Syrian and Greek navigators to the country of Greece. Archaeological documents also indicate that the Messinians had communities in Ugarit, especially in its port Minet el-Beida, which bears a Greek name (Lokos Limen). This port was a great witness to the oldest commercial and cultural relations between the two countries, and the Greeks had large groups of merchants who, along with Ugarit merchants, supervised maritime trade, import and export.
Hellenistic era
[edit]
Macedonian Greek king, Alexander the Great conquered Syria and the region in 333–332 BCE. Afterwards, Seleucus led the Seleucid Empire to rule Syria, which lasted until 64 BCE. In Syria, Seleucids had many achievements such as building cities like Antioch, Laodicea, and Apamea, in addition to laying the foundations to the Aleppo Citadel.
Late on, the Byzantine Empire kept the Greek influence until mid-7th century, in which they developed the Norias of Hama. During the Byzantine rule, the Eastern Orthodox Church was the common religion between the two nations, which still has 503,000 members in Syria.[14]
Pre-WWI
[edit]Both Greece and Syria were occupied by the Ottoman Empire for more than four centuries.
Modern era
[edit]During the WWII, many Greeks fled their country after the Nazi invasion, mainly from the island of Chios to seek refuge in Al-Nayrab camp, near Aleppo.[15] During the Syrian Civil War, thousands of Syrians went to Greece and Europe to escape war in their country.
On May 8, 2020, the Greek Foreign Ministry Nikos Dendias announced a restoration of relations between Greece and Syria and assigned former ambassador to Syria and Russia, Tasia Athanassiou, as a Special Envoy of Greece's Foreign Ministry for Syria.[16]
In July 2020, Syria initiated the construction of a Russian-funded replica of Hagia Sophia in the predominantly Christian town of Al-Suqaylabiyah.[17]
Operation Spring Shield
[edit]After ending of Syrian offensive against Turkish occupation and Balyun airstrike, Turkey asked NATO for help to launch a large-scale military intervention in Syria, but Greece vetoed Turkey's aid, thereby protecting Syria from NATO.[18]
Restoration of diplomatic relations
[edit]In June 2021, Greece reopened its embassy in Damascus, following the withdrawal of its diplomatic mission from Syria in 2012.[19] In April 2024, Greece, Romania, Cyprus, and Italy, expressed their intention to re-establish contact and collaboration with the Syrian government.[20] In December 2024 following the Syrian civil war ending in change of government, Greece has suspended asylum applications for about 9,000 Syrians.[21]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Syrian diplomatic missions abroad". mofaex.gov.sy.
- ^ Union for the Mediterranean: time for parliaments to play their role, European Parliament
- ^ Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού – Κατοικιών 2021 [Results of Population-Housing Census 2021] (in Greek). 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ^ "Population, total – Syrian Arab Republic". worldpopulationreview.com. World population review. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "Damascus population 2022". World Population Review. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ "Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe". Pew Research Center. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
- ^ "Syria: People and society". The World Factbook. CIA. 10 May 2022.
- ^ "Largest Ethnic Groups In Syria". WorldAtlas. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "GDP Syrian Arab Republic". worldbank.org. World Bank. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ Paul Antonopoulos (8 May 2020). "Greece's renewed relations with Syria further isolates Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean". Greek City Times. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ^ "Greek language education, humanitarian aid to be provided to Levant's Arabic-speaking Greek Orthodox".
- ^ Greek-Speaking Enclaves of Lebanon and Syria by Roula Tsokalidou. Proceedings II Simposio Internacional Bilingüismo. Retrieved 18-12-08
- ^ "Ugarit". Britannica.
- ^ "Why is Greece mending relations with Assad?". Middle East Eye. 5 August 2020.
- ^ "The Greek refugees who fled to the Middle East in WW2". BBC. 19 June 2016.
- ^ "Greece's renewed relations with Syria further isolates Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean". greekcitytimes.com. 8 May 2020.
- ^ "Russia to fund small-scale replica Hagia Sophia in Syria that will be used as a church". The Art Newspaper. 6 August 2020.
- ^ Kampouris, Nick (29 February 2020). "Greece Vetoed NATO Communique Intended to Support Turkey". Greek Reporter.
- ^ "Greece officially reopens embassy in Syria, Cyprus in the coming weeks". Greek City Times. 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Romanian Intelligence Chief Visits Syria, Meets Bashar al-Assad with a Message". The Syrian Observer. 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Greece suspends examination of Syrian asylum requests". LBCIV7. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
External links
[edit]- Greek Foreign Affairs Ministry about relations with Syria
- Syrian embassy in Athens Archived 2009-06-10 at the Wayback Machine
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