Greek Tragedy Avoidable or Not (III)
Three Cities. Three Friends. One Common Denominator.
One lived in Istanbul, Turkiye. The other was in Boston, Massachusetts in the US. The third was in Athens, Greece. The question of whether Greek tragedy was avoidable or not has never crossed their mind.
US HEGEMONY IN THE 20TH CENTURY
In the 20th century, Turkiye and Greece lived under strict regimen of the US hegemony. The US Sixth Fleet was the supreme command in the Mediterranean Sea. There was law and order, so to speak in the international order of things.
Greek Tragedy Avoidable or Not
Did Not Cross Any One’s Mind
In the 1970s, there was no reason for anyone to worry about a Greek tragedy. The Cold War was at work. As a result, life for ordinary folks moved alone uninterrupted.
Yanni and Marianna were two Greeks. One was living in Istanbul and the other in Athens. George was 7 thousand miles away, in North America.
Yanni in Istanbul
He was a chef in a prominent restaurant in the old Istanbul, Karakoy to be exact. Yanni came to work weekdays mid-morning and left home early afternoon.
He lived in Tarabya, one of the most delightful neighborhoods on the Bosphorus. It was a good life for a Greek who was born there and never left like most others.
Marianna in Athens
She was married to one of the wealthiest in Greece. She was worldly herself. Eventually she became one of the most popular citizens of modern times.
She travelled to the West, especially to the US. The cream of the crop of diaspora was her domain. Yet, she also reached out to others equally powerful and worldly.
George in Boston
He was a shrewd businessman. He was on the receiving end of the Greek diaspora in New England. He provided lots of jobs to lots of migrants in the food business.
George was also open minded. He was Greek. In 1974, there was the Cyprus War. Nevertheless, his best clients and friends were some Turks from Tarsus, Turkiye.
Greek Tragedy Avoidable or Not
Everyone Must Worry About It Since 2020
Nowadays, Yanni, Marianna, and George are no longer with us. Hence they don’t have to worry about whether a Greek tragedy is avoidable or not anymore.
However, for the rest of us, under the circumstances, it is as real as it gets. What is worse, it will not be over until the November 2024 elections either.
What happened to Ukraine since February 2022 is the only proof anyone needs. At this stage, no one can guarantee that the same will not happen to Greece.
Click here for the first in a series of four, here for the second episode.