Ahmet Keskin, the Executive Director of the Australian Intercultural Society (AIS) and co-founder of the Affinity Intercultural Foundation (AIF), is leading an initiative to foster dialogue and understanding between Greek and Turkish communities through their diasporas.
As part of this effort, Keskin is this week hosting a delegation from Greece to discuss the situation of Turkish political refugees residing in Greece. The delegation has visited Sydney and Canberra, and will host a forum in Melbourne on Thursday, September 5, providing valuable insights into the challenges and responses related to these refugees.
The delegation includes notable figures such as Katerina Markou, a former member of parliament for Thessaloniki and now director of Papazisis Publishing; Dr. Ioannis E. Kotoulas, an adjunct lecturer in Geopolitics at the University of Athens; journalist Georgia Lagou, who covers maritime issues and has reported from conflict zones; and Hasan Kotsantzi, a law graduate and media expert specialising in education and social integration dialogue.
Keskin’s efforts aim to bridge Greek-Turkish relations through their diasporas and highlight the importance of official Dialogue Networks. He hopes to challenge the stereotype that Greeks and Turks cannot coexist peacefully and emphasise Greece’s role in aiding Turkish refugees.
Ms Markou’s insights will provide a view of Greece’s approach to accommodating Turkish refugees, and address the challenges faced by Greece in accommodating the influx.
On Tuesday, September 3, the delegation’s visit to Sydney included meetings with prominent figures such as Peter Doukas OAM, Chair of the Ethnic Communities’ Council of NSW; Sophie Cotsis, Minister for Industrial Relations; and ethnic media.
In Melbourne, they will engage with Kon Karapanagiotidis, Director of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), Justice Emilios Kyrou, and members of the Victorian Parliament. They will also attend a lunch hosted by Dr. Andonis Piperoglou at the University of Melbourne, focusing on Diaspora studies.
For the public, there will be an ADI Policy Forum titled “Immigration and Refugee Policies at the Crossroad,” scheduled for Thursday, September 5 at Deakin Downtown, Melbourne. Tickets for this event are available here.
