Document Date: 15 Jul 1997
Posting Date:....13 Sep 1997
From the Athens News Agency
Residents of the Greek island of Lesvos joined the people of Bergama in northwest Turkey over the weekend for a series of events focussing on peace and friendly relations between the Greece and Turkey.
Events opened on Saturday evening with children's dance groups from both regions performing in the ancient city's centre, where the old Greek quarter was located. The event was attended by many locals and about 300 tourists from Lesvos, Khios, Thrace and Serrai. Many of them included ethnic Greeks from Asia Minor who had been born or had parents born in Pergamus. A concert by the state-controlled ET-3 was given that night at the city's ancient theatre, with the audience waving Greek and Turkish flags. Events ended Sunday evening with the planting of an olive tree in the city's modern quarter by Lesvos Prefect Alekos Mathiellis and Bergama Mayor Sefa Tashkin.
Officials attending the ceremonies included the prefects and mayors from many Greek islands and Alexandhroupolis, tourism-sector businessmen, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) deputy Stratis Korakas, the Greek Consul General in Istanbul Fotis Xidhas and the Greek Consul in Izmir Andreas Friyanas.