Northern Epirus is Greece! / Βόρειος Ήπειρος είναι Ελλάδα! [Archive] - The Apricity Forum: A European Cultural Community

Turkophagos

06-19-2011, 12:57 PM

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The Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus (Greek: Αυτόνομος Δημοκρατία της Βορείου Ηπείρου, Aftónomos Dimokratía tis Voreíou Ipeírou) was a short-lived, self-governing entity founded on February 28, 1914, in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars, by the Greeks living in southern Albania (Northern Epirotes).

The area, known as "Northern Epirus" to Greeks and with a substantial Greek population, was taken by the Greek Army during the First Balkan War (1912–1913). The Protocol of Florence however, had assigned it to the newly established Albanian state. This decision was rejected by the local Greeks, and as the Greek army withdrew to the new border, an autonomous government was set up at Gjirokastër, under the leadership of Georgios Christakis-Zografos, a distinguished local Greek politician and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and with tacit support from Greece.

In May the autonomy was confirmed by the Great Powers with the Protocol of Corfu. The agreement ensured that the region would have its own administration, recognized the rights of the local population and provided self government under nominal Albanian sovereignty. However, it was never implemented because in August the Albanian government collapsed. The Greek Army re-occupied the area after the outbreak of World War I (October 1914). Northern Epirus was slated to be ceded to Greece following the war, but the withdrawal of Italian support and Greece's defeat in the Asia Minor Campaign resulted in its final cession to Albania in November 1921.

Omonoia Organization

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Omonoia (Greek: Ομόνοια) is a social, political and cultural organization in Albania, mostly in the country's southern part, known as Northern Epirus among Greek people, which protects and lobbies for the human and minority rights of the Greeks living in Albania.

The organization was founded in 1991, after the collapse of the authoritarian regime, in the village of Derviçan, by representatives of the Greek national minority. Omonoia has four affiliates in the cities of Sarandë, Delvinë, Gjirokastër and Tirana, and some sub-sections in Korçë, Vlorë and Përmet. Its leading forum is the General Council consisting of 45 members, it is elected by the General Conference and held every two years. Omonoia represents approximately 100,000 to 150,000 ethnic Greeks.

Ushtari

06-24-2011, 07:34 PM

Second, its not known whether epirotes were Greeks or not. For example Strabo and Thucydides wrote they were non-greeks, while others wrote they were greeks. Many names are Greek, but names tell nothing except for influences and rule.

So just because Greeks have created colonies, it doesn't mean only Greeks lived there. And as i said, it's not determined whether epirotes were originally Greeks, just like with Macedonians, they may have adopted the hellenic culture and identity with time. For example, the early greek and roman historians wrote they were non-Greeks, so they probably got influenced later.