Boutaris Says Frangoulis Frangos "Is Dangerous" - Ti Pineis Re Dimarxe & Den mas Dineis?
It should be reminded that Boutaris, who advocates for gay pride parades, and closer Turkish cooperation, was hand selected by George Papandreou to run as Mayor of Thessaloniki. This past winter, billionaire George Soros also took a liking to him and apparently made a handsome donation to the municipality with the excuse of heating some schools (Editor - uhmmm... clearing throat).
Boutaris expressed his dissatisfaction with what Frangoulis Frangos said at an event that was held on Sunday commemorating the Genocide of the Greek Pontus people.
In his speech in Thessaloniki Frangoulis Frangos talked about the "genocide of the Memorandum", urging the government and opposition to finally bring the people's agony to an end.
"Today we are experiencing another genocide, which is occurring at the expense of the Greek people. Our young people, the youth and the future of Greece, due to unemployment which stands at 60%, find it difficult to marry and have children. Even those who do work with wages that do not conform to country- member of the European Union, (are affected)."He added that the government and the opposition must resolve this problem right away so that the people can start believing that they will see a light at the end of the tunnel. He also said that excuses such Greece is in dire financial straits, will not be tolerated.
We agree, so what is Boutaris' problem?
Is it because Mr. Boutaris is noticing that the citizens of Thessaloniki are realizing that he is better skilled to operate his wine business and not the management of Greece's second city? Or is it because he is feeling a little bit of heat under the collar because Frangoulis Frangos continues to advocate for the rights of the Greek people, their history and especially this country's culture? Is it because Frangos could mass thousands of people together in a flick of the wrist, whereas Boutaris needs his campaign people to do so, or is it because the former General of the Greek Armed Forces has a wide acceptance with the public (right and left) and is someone that is extremely highly respected in Greece?
We here at HellasFrappe do not know what Boutaris' beef is, but we suspect that the same people that supported him politically, meaning the pseudo-leftist powers of Papandreou and his clan (both domestically and internationally) do not want citizens in Thessaloniki, or in other areas of Macedonia to remember atrocities such as the genoicide of hundreds of thousands of Greeks in Pontus and Asia Minor, and certainly Mr. Boutaris does not want people in Macedonia to be united. In fact George Papandreou, and the PASOK party has worked hard to separate the Greeks for the past three decades.
So why is Boutaris so bothered by Frangoulis Frangos?
Well the various Pontian associations and organizations which are scattered throughout Thessaloniki are not on very good terms with Boutaris.
Last year he and the Pontian associations were at odds end over the use of the city's main square. This year, Boutaris might of given the associations the right to use the square for their commemoration (because municipal elections are around the corner) but Pontian Greeks might forgive, but they sure as hell never forget. One of the basic reasons for this is because of Boutaris' ongoing pro-Turkish statements.
At the end of the commemoration on Sunday the criticism and good old fashioned heckling (and boos) against Boutaris were indeed very loud and very intense. When the organizers decided to thank the Thessaloniki Mayor for his support at the event, the only thing that was heard was a loud dissatisfaction of the people.
On Monday night, and on the last day of the two-day event, the same criticism was heard.
This time it was Boutaris' turn to speak, and certainly the people did not hold off on their emotions towards him. They literally verbally attacked Boutaris who dared to criticize Frangoulis Frangos, who was the keynote speaker at the event of Pontian Associations a day earlier.
"Wow, what he (Frangoulis) said yesterday (Sunday night) is dangerous. He is only pouring oil on fire (meaning between Greeks and Turks)," said Boutaris.This stunned all those who were present and Boutaris was suddenly booed and hissed by everyone present once again.
After these statements, various reporters asked the retired Chief of the Hellenic Armed Forces to comment on Boutaris' statements. So what did this patriot say, as opposed to the man who is so pro-Turkey?
"Everyone has a right to have an opinion. My speech was a historical reference for the event. I have not provoked anyone. On the contrary, I honored him" noted Frangoulis Frangos, leaving everyone to draw their own conclusions.This is how real men (with oumbala as we say in Greece) responds. And certainly this is how a Greek democrat who has decency, who is well cultured , educated and a patriot responds! Not someone who pretends to be Greek, and endorses the Ottoman culture every chance he gets!
In fact Boutaris' grand admiration and determination to endorse the Ottoman culture in Thessaloniki has indeed shocked and annoyed many citizens in the city, and at times he is so passionate about his beliefs that he forgets to follow protocol. 0ne such foul-up happened on Monday night after his verbal attack against Frangoulis, when he accidentally let it slip out that the FYROManian language is actually "Macedonian".
This obvious screw up occurred at a municipal council meeting and while he was referring to a Skopjan plaque to Rome, which, he said, was written in the "Macedonian" language. Boutaris obvious foul offended many who were present and Theophilus Pateli, who is a city councillor for the "Creative Team" party under conservative MP Costas Gkioulekas, decided to intervene.
"FYROManian Mr Mayor" said Patelli correcting Boutaris, but the Mayor of Thessaloniki insisted and then pointed out that he is a Vlach who was born in Nymphaeum, where, he added, in the past the "Macedonian" language was spoken by the Vlach people!
Ti Pineis Re Dimarxe & Den mas Dineis
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