Metodija A. Koloski's column "Name dispute or ethnic misdeeds?" (Commentary, Oct. 14) distorts the historical rights of Greece to the heritage and culture of Macedonia, while omitting mention of the acts of provocation by Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, against Greece. Mr. Koloski's claim that Skopje "changed national symbols" is contradicted by that government's decision to name its airport after Alexander the Great. This recent provocation is in direct violation of the 1995 accords signed between Greece and Skopje. It also is a continuation of the expansionist desires put forth by various groups in Skopje to claim the history and territory of Macedonia from Greece since 1991.

It is farcical for Mr. Koloski to accuse Greece of being intransigent, when in fact, all Greek administrations have demonstrated good will for the government of Skopje, as can be seen by the signing of the 1995 accords and by the investments made by Greeks in Skopje. Greece has every desire to normalize relations with Skopje, but this is impossible because the latter has attempted to usurp the heritage and history of Macedonia, which is indisputably Hellenic. All historical evidence from the Greek province of Macedonia obtained by archaeologists and historians proves that Greeks alone are the descendants of Alexander and the Macedonian heritage.

During the 1990s, maps in Skopje were distributed that included the Greek province of Macedonia as part of its territory, while the famous Tower of Thessaloniki was depicted on its currency. In 1995, a Skopjan film titled "Before the Rain" made an inaccurate reference to Byzantine Emperor Basil II (who was part of the Macedonian dynasty that ruled Constantinople for 200 years) who it was asserted defeated "Macedonians" when, in fact, it was the Bulgarians who were defeated.

The continued use of the name Macedonia by the government of Skopje implies a claim on the Greek province. Serious scholars and historians of the ancient world, as well as experts on the travels of St. Paul in the New Testament, affirm very clearly that Macedonia is undisputably Greek.

The effort to overturn thousands of years of history and fact with regard to the territory and heritage of Macedonia is not only an attack on Greece. It is an attack on the enlightened virtues of learning and serious scholarship as well as to the effort to establish permanent peace in the Balkans.

THEODORE G. KARAKOSTAS

Executive Council

Hellenic Electronic Center

Boston

I have read Metodija A. Koloski's column "Name dispute or ethnic misdeeds?" (Commentary, Oct. 14), and unfortunately, my fears were confirmed. Even if somebody believed that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) government did not apply irredentist policy against Greece and other Balkan countries, the harsh style and the content of the column confirm exactly the opposite.

Neither Greece nor history is to blame for the fact that Alexander the Great spoke the Greek language, had as a teacher the Greek philosopher Aristotle, promoted Greek culture and unified all the Greek cities, although that could not be convenient for Mr. Koloski. Neither Greece nor history is to blame because the first Slav tribes, including those of the Skopje region, came from the north to the Balkans around 1,000 years later.

It is true that history cannot be rewritten. Nevertheless, it would be extremely interesting if Mr. Koloski could tell us whether or not — in all of FYROM's schools and universities, in the military academy of Skopje, or in its public institutions — a full irredentist propaganda is developed, promoting maps and claims not only against Greece but also against other Balkan countries.

Mr. Koloski is right when he refers to the Greek intransigence. Despite FYROM's irredentist policy, Greece had the "intransigence" to proceed with the signing of an interim agreement, has supported FYROM's stability, participates with FYROM in international forums and has become the first foreign investor in FYROM, creating more than 20,000 new jobs.

The very message of Mr. Koloski's column is that he cannot afford Greece as it exists. The content and the style of Mr. Koloski's commentary is certainly offensive toward Greece. Above all, it seriously undermines FYROM's credentials. Such commentaries are very useful to reinforce Greece's arguments.

On the other hand, Greece's stabilizing role in the Balkans has been recognized by the United States and the European Union.

Under this scope, one wonders what could be the "neighborly perspectives" FYROM wants to set up with Greece, a U.S. ally for more than a century. Furthermore, it is worrisome that such a hostile stance comes from a state that has aspirations to join Euro-Atlantic organizations.

NINA GATZOULIS

Supreme president

Pan-Macedonian Association

Dover, N.H.

The Washington Times
Letters to the editor
25 October 2007

Twisting history on Macedonia

I understand the U.S. government's decision favoring the so-called Republic of Macedonia over Greece in the Macedonian name dispute because the former helped the United States by being part of the coalition in Iraq. The "Republic of Macedonia" has become a U.S. ally, while Greece and its media have joined the majority of Western Europeans, their media, the U.S. media and the U.S. liberal politicians in condemning military action in Iraq. However, in his letter to the editor, Dragi Stojkovski, president of United Macedonians Organization of Canada has used this alliance to twist history ("Macedonia's right to its name," Oct. 12).

Mr. Stojkovski claims that in 1913, Greece occupied the Greek province of Macedonia for the first time. Though it is true that in the 20th century, Macedonia was part of a country officially called Greece, it also is true that all the provinces in Greece became part of a country called Greece for the first time from 1821 to the first half of the 20th century. He fails to mention that Macedonia, Sparta, Athens, Thebes, Korinthos, Ithaca and the rest of the states in the region were separate Greek states. They were all Greek-speaking and had a Greek identity.

The truth is that ancient Macedonians, like the people in the rest of the Greek city-states, spoke Greek; were educated as Greeks; were taught Greek history and philosophy; believed in the Greek gods; and had Greek heroes such as Achilles, Hercules and King Leonidas of Sparta. As a matter of fact, Alexander the Great's sacking of the Greek state of Thebes was caused in part by King Phillip's and son Alexander's belief that the city-state of Thebes was a traitor to the idea of a unified Greek confederation with Macedonia at the helm.

The people of the modern Republic of Macedonia have no connection with the people of ancient Macedonia or their descendants. They have Slavic origins — not Greek or ancient Macedonian. Whether they call themselves Spartans, Romans, Germans, Macedonians or Ninja Turtles, these Slavic people in the Republic of Macedonia have no historic connection to ancient Macedonians or any other ancient Greek peoples.

JOHN N. MYSEROS

Centreville