Turkish community leaders report being under clandestine police surveillance. Mr. Mehmet Emin Aga, the elected mufti of Xanthi, claims that the police follow him on a regular basis. The three were followed for two days in the area around Komotini by two separate Greek security organizations. Only after they complained to uniformed police officials and Interior Ministry officials were the police tails removed. Given state suspicion of the ethnic Turkish minority, such surveillance is not surprising.
Suspicion is the driving force behind the government's desire to restrict expression as well.
In Greece all private radio stations are forced to operate without a license because of the failure of authorities to issue proper licenses, but Mr. Dede was the only individual prosecuted. The case ended in acquittal. The above facts paint a rather gruesome picture of a suspicious and scared Greece. They suggest that preconceived notions and frustrations will not be easily overcome. Still, there is a spark of hope for the future.