Recently, Mayor Giannis Zouboukis of Alexandroupolis disclosed a concerning observation: Turkish entrepreneurs based in EU countries are increasingly buying real estate and land in towns and deserted villages across the Evros region.
According to a report from Action 24 TV, Greece’s intelligence service, EYP, has initiated urgent investigations due to fears that these real estate acquisitions might be part of an effort to colonize parts of Greece’s eastern border region with Turkey.
EYP is reportedly investigating whether the recent surge in real estate acquisitions by Turkish-linked entities is part of a broader geostrategic agenda orchestrated by Ankara, or if these purchases are simply driven by the growing tourist appeal of Evros and Greece as a whole.
Authorities are examining whether these investments align with a deliberate effort to establish a long-term Turkish presence in the region, particularly along Greece’s eastern border, or if they are merely the result of increasing interest from foreign investors seeking economic opportunities in the country’s expanding tourism sector.
The report highlighted specific instances such as land and abandoned houses being sold on the western banks of the Evros River near Didymoteicho and Orestiada. Additionally, a hotel in Alexandroupolis has been purchased by a Turkish investor and is currently undergoing renovations to become a luxury establishment.
There are also claims of investments by Turkish-led real estate firms in villages where there historically hasn’t been a Muslim population. This trend has raised significant concerns about potential long-term implications for the region’s demographic and economic landscape.
The Muslim population in the Evros region of Greece is relatively small compared to other parts of Western Thrace, where the majority of Greece’s Muslim minority resides. Evros is part of Thrace, but its Muslim population is more limited due to historical, geographical, and demographic factors.
Evros has a Muslim minority population of around 5,000–10,000 people, which is significantly lower than in Rodopi and Xanthi, where the Muslim minority is more concentrated.
The Evros region of northeastern Greece is facing a severe demographic crisis, characterized by population decline, abandoned villages, and an aging population. This issue is part of a broader trend affecting rural Greece, but it is particularly pronounced in Evros due to its geographical, economic, and security-related challenges.
You can watch the Greek report here.
Plans for the construction of a new bridge linking Greece and Turkey in the Evros region have been rapidly shaping up, and the project is nearing the beginning, according to the Greek company responsible for its implementation.
Egnatia Odos SA, responsible for the design of the project with its Turkish counterparts, has completed the project’s study and has handed it over to Turkey, Konstantinos Koutsoukos, Egnatia’s CEO said recently.
The study began in 2006, yet “In the last four years, it had entered a very intense phase, and, as a result, we are delighted to announce that, after four years of tension between the two sides, we can hand over the final study and design of the new bridge at Kipi,” Koutsoukos noted.
