PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria
Dec 5 2007

Greek minority journalist attacked in Istanbul
© AP

2007-12-05 20:51:26 –

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – An ethnic Greek journalist who runs a minority
newspaper in Turkey was attacked and injured outside his office in
Istanbul on Wednesday, Greek authorities said.
Andreas Rombopulos, who runs the newspaper Iho, or Echo, was attacked
and beaten by two people outside the paper’s offices in the city
center. He was
being treated at a local hospital for head and arm injuries, but was
not in a life-threatening condition, authorities said.
Istanbul is home to a dwindling Greek minority of about 3,000 people,
down from an estimated million at the turn of the century.
Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos said Rombopulos
was «brutally attacked.
«At a time when efforts are being made and steps are being taken to
further improve and reinforce relations between the two countries,
some people, with their unacceptable and criminal acts, are trying to
create obstacles,» Koumoutsakos said. «They will not succeed.
«We unreservedly condemn them,» Koumoutsakos said, adding that Greece
expected Turkish authorities to arrest and try the perpetrators and
to take measures so that such attacks are not repeated.
In January, ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was shot dead in
front of his newspaper’s office in a brazen daylight attack that
prompted international condemnation and debate within Turkey about
free speech.

Traditional rivals Greece and Turkey have been improving ties
recently. On Tuesday, they announced they were expanding military
cooperation as part of new confidence-building measures. Greek Prime
Minister Costas Karamanlis is expected to visit to Turkey in the near
future for what would be the first official visit by a Greek premier
in 48 years.