On Board to Border(less) Futures.

A nomadic archive of culture along Evros/Meriç River

Suna Mertoglu

Vilelmini Maria Kestsoglou Politecnico di Milano

Politecnico di Milano, Italy.

School of Architecture Urban Planning Construction Engineering Masters Degree in Architecture, Built Environment, Interiors.

A.Y. 2021/2022

Graduation session: 20 December 2022.

Suna Mertoglu 965410

Vilelmini Maria Kestsoglou 965392

Relator: Eleonora Bersani

The River Evros | Meriç

The Historical Timeline

Thrace as a Shared Land

The Current Conditions

Mrs.

Mr. Christos Paschalakis

Mrs. Marina Timchenko

Local woman of Didymoteicho

Breaking The Borders Conceptual Map

The River as a border and a bridge Catalytic and Participatory Actions

A Shared Culture Growing Along Evros

On Board to Border(less) Futures

This research focuses on the complex realities that define the Evros/Meric river and its overall region of Thrace. A region that now is trisected but throughout its history was home to diverse populations of different ethnicities, religions and cultures, cohabiting it freely. After the Treaty of Lausanne, people of this region faced its division into nations-states, which was followed by a forced population exchange and the construction, by each country, of its national narrative and ideology. This was at times used in order to surface ethnic and cultural differences between the people of Thrace, slowly erasing the memory of their shared past as citizens of Empires. Today, Evros river has become the symbol of this forced division, transforming into an “arcifinious” border, fortifying the limits of the European Union. Recent political events, such as the refugee crisis, have drawn attention to the region, its militarization and the weaponization of Evros river, which have led to its portrayal as a critical zone. Consequently, this has had an impact on the relationship of the local populations with the river, discouraging them to approach and use it in their everyday lives.

The only way to rebuild the communication between, not only the people and the river but also between the divided populations, is to remind them of their common culture and shared past, which is still present on both sides of the border. Evoking their shared memory, through culture can lead to the creation of new networks of communication that break the borders. This idea can contribute to returning the riverfront and landscape back to its people. The intention is to create a “bridge” that can spread values, ideologies and practices that make up the region’s common culture, in order to spark the beginning of a common future.

Özet

Bu araştırma, Meriç nehrini ve genel olarak Trakya bölgesini tanımlayan karmaşık gerçekliklere odaklanmaktadır. Bugün üç parçaya bölünmüş olan bu bölge, tarihi boyunca farklı etnik kökenlere, dinlere ve kültürlere sahip çeşitli nüfuslara ev sahipliği yapmış ve bu topluluklar özgürce bir arada yaşamıştır. Lozan Antlaşması’ndan sonra Trakya nüfusu ulus-devletlere bölünmekle karşı karşıya kalmış, bunu zorunlu nüfus mübadelesi izlemiştir. Bahsedilen politik değişimlerden sonra her ülke kendi ulusal söylemini ve ideolojisini inşa etmeye başlamıştır. Etnik ve dini farklılıklar öne çıkarılarak, bu bölgenin insanları, sadece Osmanlı değil, Bizans, Roma ve Makedonya gibi köklü imparatorlukların vatandaşı olarak yaşadıkları ortak geçmişi geride bırakıp unutmaya zorlanmıştır. Bugün, Meriç nehri bu zorla bölünmenin sembolü haline gelmiş, Avrupa Birliği’nin sınırlarını güçlendiren “arkifinious” bir kaleye dönüşmüştür. Mülteci krizi gibi son dönemlerde öne çıkan siyasi olaylar dikkatleri bölgeye, bölgenin askerileştirilmesine ve nehrin silahlandırılmasına çekmiş, bu da bölgenin tehlikeli bir bölge olarak tasvir edilmesine yol açmıştır. Sonuç olarak, bu durum yerel halkın nehirle olan ilişkisini etkilemiş, günlük yaşamlarında nehir boyunda yer alabilecek faaliyetleri ve nehrin kullanımını engellemiştir.

Sadece insanlar ve nehir arasındaki değil, aynı zamanda bölünmüş halklar arasındaki iletişimi yeniden inşa etmenin tek yolu, onlara sınırın her iki tarafında da hala mevcut olan ortak kültürlerini ve ortak geçmişlerini hatırlatmaktır. Kültür aracılığıyla ortak hafızayı canlandırmak, sınırları aşan yeni iletişim ağlarının kurulmasına yol açabilir. Bu fikir, nehir kıyısının ve peyzajın halkına geri dönmesine katkıda bulunabilir. Amaç, ortak bir geleceğin başlangıcını ateşlemek için bölgenin ortak kültürünü oluşturan değerleri, ideolojileri ve uygulamaları yayabilecek bir “köprü” oluşturmaktır.

Περίληψη

Η παρούσα έρευνα επικεντρώνεται στις πολύπλοκες συνθήκες που

διαμορφώνουν την ζωή στον ποταμό Έβρο και στην ευρύτερη περιοχή

της Θράκης. Μια περιοχή που σήμερα είναι τριχοτομημένη, παρόλο που

καθόλη την διάρκεια της ιστορίας της φιλοξενούσε ποικίλους πληθυσμούς

διαφορετικών εθνοτήτων, θρησκειών και πολιτισμών, που συμβίωναν

ελεύθερα. Μετά τη Συνθήκη της Λωζάνης, οι άνθρωποι αυτής της περιοχής

αντιμετώπισαν τον διαμελισμό της σε έθνη-κράτη, τον οποίο ακολούθησε

η αναγκαστική ανταλλαγή πληθυσμών και η κατασκευή, της εθνικής

ταυτότητας και ιδεολογίας κάθε χώρας. Η ταυτότητα αυτή χρησιμοποιήθηκε

κατά καιρούς ως μέσο ανάκλησης των εθνικών και πολιτισμικών διαφορών

μεταξύ των πληθυσμών της Θράκης, διαγράφοντας σιγά σιγά τη μνήμη

του κοινού παρελθόντος τους ως πολίτες αυτοκρατοριών. Σήμερα, ο

ποταμός Έβρος έχει γίνει το σύμβολο αυτού του αναγκαστικού διαμελισμού, αποτελώντας ένα φυσικό, υδατικό σύνορο, το οποίο οχυρώνει τα όρια της

Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Πρόσφατα πολιτικά γεγονότα, όπως η προσφυγική

κρίση, έχουν τραβήξει την προσοχή στην περιοχή, τη στρατιωτικοποίησή

της και την εργαλειοποίηση του Έβρου, οδηγώντας στην απεικόνισή του ως

κρίσιμη περιοχή. Κατά συνέπεια, αυτό είχε αντίκτυπο στη σχέση των τοπικών

πληθυσμών με τον ποταμό, αποθαρρύνοντάς τους να τον προσεγγίσουν

και να τον χρησιμοποιήσουν στην καθημερινότητά τους.

Ο μόνος τρόπος για να αποκατασταθεί η επικοινωνία, όχι μόνο μεταξύ των

ανθρώπων και του ποταμού, αλλά και μεταξύ των δυο πληθυσμών, είναι

να ανακαλέσουμε τον κοινό πολιτισμό και το κοινό παρελθόν τους, που εξακολουθεί να υπάρχει και στις δύο πλευρές των συνόρων. Η επίκληση

της κοινής τους μνήμης, μέσω πολιτιστικών δράσεων, μπορεί να οδηγήσει

στη δημιουργία νέων δικτύων επικοινωνίας, τα οποία θα ξεπερνούν τα

σύνορα. Αυτή η ιδέα μπορεί να συμβάλει στην πιο οργανωμένη χρήση

του παραποτάμιου μετώπου και στην αναζωογόνηση της ευρύτερης

περιοχής, επιστέφοντας τον ποταμό στους ανθρώπους. Η πρόθεση είναι

να δημιουργηθεί μια “γέφυρα” η οποία μπορεί να διαδώσει τις αξίες, τις

ιδεολογίες και τις πρακτικές που συνθέτουν τον κοινό πολιτισμό της

περιοχής, προκειμένου να πυροδοτηθεί η αρχή ενός κοινού μέλλοντος.

On Board to Border(less) Futures

Questo studio si concentra sulle complesse realtà che definiscono il fiume Evros/Meric e l’intera regione della Tracia. Una regione che oggi è divisa in tre parti ma che nel corso della sua storia ha ospitato diverse popolazioni di diverse etnie, religioni e culture, che vi hanno convissuto liberamente. Dopo il Trattato di Losanna, i popoli di questa regione affrontarono la propria divisione in statinazioni, a cui seguì un cambio forzato della popolazione e della costruzione, da parte di ciascun paese, della propria narrativa e ideologia nazionale. Ciò all’epoca veniva usato come pretesto per far emergere le differenze etniche e culturali tra i popoli della Tracia, cancellando lentamente la memoria del loro comune passato come cittadini e come Imperi. Oggi il fiume Evros è diventato il simbolo di questa divisione forzata, trasformandosi in un confine “arcifinio” (confine naturale d’acqua), fortificando altresì i confini dell’Unione Europea. I recenti eventi politici come la crisi dei rifugiati, hanno attirato l’attenzione sulla regione: la sua militarizzazione e l’armamento del fiume Evros, hanno diffuso la fama di una zona pericolosa. Di conseguenza, ciò ha influito sul rapporto delle popolazioni locali con il fiume, disincentivandone l’avvicinamento e l’utilizzo nella vita di tutti i giorni.

L’unico modo per ricostruire la comunicazione tra, non solo la gente e il fiume, ma anche tra le popolazioni divise, è ricordare loro la propria cultura comune e il passato condiviso, che è ancora presente su entrambi i lati del confine. Evocare la loro memoria condivisa attraverso la cultura, può portare alla creazione di nuove reti di comunicazione che rompano i confini. Questa idea può contribuire a restituire il lungofiume e il paesaggio alla sua gente. L’intento è quello di creare un “ponte” in grado di diffondere valori, ideologie e pratiche che costituiscano la cultura comune della regione, al fine di innescare l’inizio di un futuro comune.

The River Evros | Meriç

The Historical Timeline

The first traces of human culture in the region of Thrace dates back to Palaeolithic Age (10000 - 7000 BC). The next prehistoric stage was considered revolutionary as foundations of modern civilisation are laid. Neolithic Age covers 5th and 6th millennia BC in Aegean Thrace. A city called Makri, on the outskirts of Alexandroupoli, being the only fully excavated community of that period, reflects lots of details on the daily life during the Neolithic Era. Amongst the excavated objects there are many clay objects, hermaphrodite statues which might be used for worshipping purposes. Furthermore through smaller excavations on the lower parts of the region there are findings indicating commercial relationships between locals of Thrace and Minoans of Crete during the Bronze Age (3000 - 1050 BC). In the following centuries Thrace was ruled by tribes until it got integrated within the Roman Empire (1st - 4th century BC). Instead of canceling out the local features and culture Romans enhanced the Greek characteristics and culture. This policy was due to the accession to the mountainous areas, which were still partially controlled by Thracian populations.

During the Byzantine times Thrace gets an important role as it is very connected with the capital Constantinople. The later found Byzantine monuments in the area state the prime era of Evros at that time. These findings are very valuable pieces of Constantinople art, as they are unique pieces of the great artistic activity.The Byzantine Empire was threatened by many wars and invasions by Bulgarians, Ottomans and others. Ottomans conquered parts of Thrace in 1354, making Didymoteicho the first capital in Europe in 1361. In 1366 the capital moved to a Roman founded city Adrianople ( todays Edirne), which was later moved to Constantinople with the invasion in 1453. In the 19th century Greeks, Turks, Bulgarians, Albanians, Serbians and many other minority groups lived in the area.

After the first world war during the conferences and treaties on determining the borders of Balkan states Thrace got divided into three parts. Northern Thrace which was by far the largest part became a part of Bulgaria, Western Thrace, between Xanti and Evros river went to Greece and Eastern Thrace, east of Evros until the Bosphorus remained in Turkey.

With the forced population exchange on 1923 between Greece and Turkey many people found themselves on the wrong side of the river. This process of immigration continued into late 20th century. Despite the migrations Greek Thrace was left as the most ethnically mixed area of Balkans

Eleftherios Venizelos made the initial request for the population exchange in a letter he sent to the League of Nations on October 16, 1922, as a way to normalize relations given that the majority of surviving Greeks who had been living in Turkey at the time had already fled to Greece following recent massacres. Venizelos requested Fridtjof Nansen to make the required arrangements and recommended a “compulsory swap of Greek and Turkish populations.” 1 .

This major forced population exchange, or mutually agreed upon expulsion, was based on religious identity rather than language or ethnicity and involved nearly all of the native Orthodox Christian peoples of Turkey (the Rûm “Roman/Byzantine” millet), including even Armenian and Turkish speaking Orthodox groups, and on the other side most of the native Muslims of Greece, including even Greek-speaking Muslims such as Vallahades and Cretan Turks, as well as Muslim Romans 2 .

Each group were native peoples, citizens, and in cases even veterans of the state which expelled them, and neither had representatives within the state to hear their voices. Historians have described the exchange as a legalized form of mutual ethnic cleansing 3 .

Note:

1. Shields, Sarah (2013). “The Greek-Turkish Population Exchange: Internationally Administered Ethnic Cleansing”. Middle East Report (267): 2–6. JSTOR 24426444.

2. Bilgehan, Zeynep (13 March 2019). “Roma people tell of ancestors’ 1923 ‘population exchange’ stories”. Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 9 May 2022.

3. Pinxten, Rik; Dikomitis, Lisa (May 2009). When God Comes to Town: Religious Traditions in Urban Contexts. Berghahn Books. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-84545-920-8.

The Historical Timeline

Thrace as a shared land

Note:

Thrace, a modern province of Greece with a coastline on the Aegean Sea, the Mountain of Rodopi, and the Rivers Nestos and Evros, was formerly a minor portion of a larger area that ran from the Aegean Sea and the Hellespont to the Danube and from the Black Sea to Macedonia. Its historical formation was influenced by its geopolitical position between Europe and Asia. Thrace has endured more migrations, colonizations, hostile invasions, wars, and military occupations than any other region. Thrace was also continually subject to the strong forming influences of the nearby populations and cultures 1 .

Thrace being a region connecting the Asia Minor to Europe, or in a larger scale, the east to the west over the years transformed into a border. The three main cultures sharing this land stretched to the north, west and east and split from this union into three different countries. Furthermore the said border found a body within the Evros river, becoming one of the many water borders of the world. For almost 100 years, Evros has served as a frontier in its last section. Its history and its stories have changed, possibly even more than it is easy to imagine now, in terms of separating territory and dividing itself. For decades, this river and this boundary have told the tale of a forced split, of expulsions, deportations, and persecutions; the results of the notion that reality should adjust to a mark drawn on a map.

1. Diamantis, T. (1996). Thrace in Antiquity. In N. Desyllas, Thrace, colours and hues, 22-25. Athens: Synolo.

The Current Conditions

“Thrace is a region nostalgic for wholeness. The Great Powers divided Thrace in order to weaken it. You know, divide and conquer!. In the turbulent period following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, many Thracians were forced to leave their homes and migrate across newly created national borders. Longing to return home motivated some refugees, like those from Bulgaria who settled the Greek villages of Ptelea to remain as close as possible to the border.”1

Note:

1. Mrs. Aggeliki Giannakidou, founder and director of Ethnographical Museum of Thrace.

“We chose to live next to the border in the hope that sometime we could return to our land.”2

Note: 2. Eleni Baharidou, founder of Nea Vyssa volunteer group.

Physical Conditions

Drawing the Line Note: 1. Proto Thema newspaper, Evros: The unknown history of border drawing after the Treaty of Lausanne, 05.06.2020.

The border between Greece and Turkey in Evros reaches 203 km. It begins at the confluence (Triennale) of the borders of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria and extends to the mouth of the Evros River in the Thracian Sea. In 1923, when the Lausanne Treaty was signed, it was stipulated that the Evros river would form a natural border between Greece and Turkey, with the border line along the central line of the river, and that the Karaagaç region would remain in Turkey.

The definition of the river Evros as a natural border between Greece and Turkey in the Lausanne negotiations, in 1923, initially resulted in Edirne being in Turkish territory but the suburb of Karagac with the city’s central railway station in the Greek part and for this reason the north part of the border would not follow the rivers center but be pushed towards west leaving Karagac in the Turkish territory. Thus, this was not the only exception of the agreement, later there was also debates about drawing the border on the delta.

The Treaty of Lausanne appointed a tripartite commission with Colonel Baker of the Netherlands as president and the heads of the Greek and Turkish delegations, Major Emmanuel Minotakis and Colonel Hayrullah Bey, as members, to determine the Greek-Turkish border. Decisions of the Commission are made by majority vote and are binding on the parties concerned. The most important issue the Tripartite Commission had to deal with was the fate of the present-day Evros delta. The Tripartite Commission had to decide which of the two main branches in the southern part of the river was the main one based on the amount of water that ended up in the sea. If it were accepted that the main arm of the Evros in the region was the western one, then today the Greek territory would be smaller in the region1

The work of the Tripartite Commission was finally completed in the fall of 1926 with the signing of the corresponding protocol between Greece and Turkey (11 March 1926). In this regard, among other things, it was agreed that the border between Greece and Turkey would be definitively established with coordinates and fixed points and not by its displacement from time to time due to the frequent flooding phenomena of the river.

In the years that followed, frequent flooding of the Evros River changed the geophysical landscape and destroyed many of the boundary markers set at the 1926 border. There was an agreement between Greece and Turkey to set up a border checkpoint on the riverbed, but a land exchange was still made, which never materialized due to tensions between the two countries. After political disagreements on1974, the border on the Evros river is considered to be among the most militarized in Europe due to the constant challenges between the two countries.

Physical Conditions Where land meets sea

Note:

1. Laskarakis, Giannis (4 March 2020), “Incredible things are happening in Evros “, HGnomionline.gr.

2. Kamilaris Athanasios (25 March 2022), local fisherman .

The 188 km² of coastal lakes, lagoons, dunes, marshes and reedbeds just southeast of Alexandroupoli, where the Evros River joins the Aegean Sea, is home to an exceptionally rich wildlife housed by the Evros Delta. The Delta has around 300 bird species and many other animals which are not the only residents.

Within the left arm of Evros River close to the main body of the river there are illegal settelements on the water. The Greek fisherman live on the delta for many years within their small community. The houses of the fisherman are mostly done by wood and natural materials, with a small engine for electricity outside the house, raised from the wet ground. These type of houses located on the delta are called “kalyves”. The structures appear very rough but functional, with a half-submerged inflatable raft serving as a dock bumper.

There are around 168 cabins on the delta which were all facing demolition. Within the last years the fisherman made an agreement to regulate the use of these constructions which were inhabbitted by the people of the delta for generations. The fisherman are also actively a part of the defence line on the water borders of Greece since 2020 refugee crisis. Which is another reason for the government to suddenly legalize these settelements that have been giving a battle of existance. The fisherman are the frontiers in the defence of the border acting as national guards. They are also actively taking part for the rescue of refugees that fight with the angry waters of Evros river, rescuing them with their boats and sending the first alarm to the border patrol. They also held many emergency drills together with the police to be able to rescue the refugees within 30 seconds of visualizing them.

“The illegal inhabitants of the protected habitat of the Evros Delta were out hunting their ‘prey’ and justifying their arbitrary ‘villas’ as defenders of the homeland.”1

“We returned and they called us heroes. We’re not heroes. We were guarding our homeland, guarding our homes because that’s what we were taught: country, religion, family.”2

Physical Conditions Beyond Water

The concrete and barbed wire fence between Turkey and Greece was placed first in 2012, which was later extended in 2021, a year after thousands of refugees tried to cross into the European Union through Greece’s northern border, when Turkish government announced they will no longer block the refugees from crossing the border1. As migration is rising the border barriers also started to rise which caused Greece to replace the border fence with a 40 kilometer wall. The wall reaches from Feres to Lykofos on the south and from Nea Vyssa to Kastanies on the north near the Turkish town Edirne. Currently Greek government seeks to extend the wall for 80 more kilometers with the help of European Union, hoping to prevent the events of 2020 to reoccur.

Following the Evros Delta and the first half of the border wall there are various villages near the border on both countries. On the south near the delta Greece has one of the larger towns of the region Alexandroupoli. It is a touristic port with a lot of military activity. There are mostly smaller villages in the south half of the river, while the north welcomes you with historical monuments of the shared past such as the Çelebi Sultan Mehmet Mosque in Didymoteicho. The settelements are mostly few hundred meters pushed away from the river as there is a large band of agricultural land on both sides of the river. A few of the towns are located close to the river or some of its smaller arms, hence Edirne makes an exception having Evros River passing right through the city in front of the historical town. On the north end of Greek-Turkish border Edirne has an important footprint being the largest town of Evros.

Physical Conditions

Life between land and sea

Life inside one of the cabins on the Evros Delta is simple but at the same time exciting, as some of the inhabitants claim. Most of the cabins are passed down from one generation to the other, from father to son, evolving with the passage of time. Today, they are equipped with generators for electricity, placed usually in a small hut outside the main one. They also use rainwater collection tanks in order to have water for all the household chores. The main cabin most of the times is composed by two rooms and a kitchen, while the toilet is built outside. A pier is found in front of each hut towards the riverfront, where boats are docked and materials such as fishing nets and boat equipment, are placed. The huts are made mostly of metal sheets and timber and are elevated from the surface of the ground on pillars to prevent flooding, making up a living system that looks like a floating village1. At the end of each hard-working day, after fishing or hunting many of them gather to grill the fish they caught, drink and tell stories.

Evros Delta, Kalyves, Greece

Didymoteicho, Central square, Greece

Edirne, Meric bridge, Turkey

Social Conditions Violent Waters

In response to the killing of 34 Turkish soldiers in Idlib, Syria on 27 February 2020, Turkey announced they will no longer prevent refugees from crossing to European Union. As a response Greece closed the two border crossings Pazarkule-Kastanies on the north and Ipsala-Kipoi on the south and increased its border forces. Around 25 thousand people gatherd on the land borders. On 28 February 2020 Greece announced no illegal entries would be accepted. On 2 March 2020 Greece suspended the right to seek assylum for a month for refugees entering Greece, which later was extended due to COVID19 measures.

Due to the political decisions refugees strated to move towards border villages where they attempted to cross the border through passing the river. Around 5000 refugees were pushed back, many entered Greece and many did not survive1

On the 10 th of March 2020, news sources started to mention that Bulgaria opened the Ivaylovgrad Dam placed on Arda river which is an arm of Evros river and had released water downstream and floded the river. According to eighteenth-century Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius and his followers, rivers are “part of ‘arcifinious’ or ‘natural’ military frontier zones that are ‘indetermined,’ and flexible based on the application of force2. Rumours had been circulating among the border control that the river could be used as a defense strategy, which transforms the natural border into a flexible weapon. This time period from 27th of February onwards was called “the hybrid war” by many. Greek government previeving it as, Turkish government attacking their terriories with refugees instead of bullets4; and Turkish government weaponizing the refugees while Greece and European Union attacks them by altering the rivers ecology. On March 4th violence escalated in the border and shootings started. Bullets of soldiers injured seven refugees and killed Muhammad Gulzar, a Pakistani citizen. Giorgos Christides from the German newspaper “Der Spiegel” took following notes during a live streamed footage from the morning that day5.

09:02: a very large group of migrants moved along the fence. A group of heavily armed soldiers followed them along.

9:05: heavy use of tear gas coming from the Turkish side. Flocks of birds flying out in panic. More and more migrants move southwards towards Petalo.

9:09: the battle also erupted at the Greek outpost. Extensive tear gas thrown from the side of Turkey. Both police and military were on the spot.

09:19: loudspeakers from Greek side play warning: do not attempt to cross

09:20: more and more police and army vehicles and reinforcements coming to the Greek tower post. 9:21: 23 soldiers moving along the fence

9:32: Soldiers dispersed at regular intervals along the fence

9:41: Calm at checkpoint

10:00 Migrants return to gather at check point. Black smoke to the south, fire breaks out.

11:01: Greeks use water canon.

Note:

1. Dicle Ergin, Ayse: What Happened at the GreeceTurkey Border in early 2020?: A Legal Analysis, VerfBlog, 2020/9/30, https://verfassungsblog. de/what-happenedat-the-greece-turkeyborder-in-early-2020/, DOI: 10.17176/20200930220649-0.

2. Donaldson, 159, quoting Hugo Grotius, Of the Rights of War and Peace (London: Brown, Ward, Meares, 1715).

3. What we call, after Achille Mbembe, the production of necrohydrologies: where rivers become central figures in regimes of terror and the politics of death. Achille Mbembe, Necropolitics (Durham: Duke University Press, 2019).

4. “Letter to the President of the European Parliament”, November 11, 2020, available at: www. tinekestrik.eu/sites/ default/files/2020- 11/ Letter%20to%20EP_ Frontex%20maritime%20 operations%20at%20 EU%20external%20 bord.._.pdf (accessed November 2020).

5. The notes were shared with Stefanos Levidis and are quated from the phd thesis “Levidis, Stefanos. 2021. BORDER NATURES. The Environment as Weapon at the Edges of Greece. Doctoral thesis, Goldsmiths, University of London [Thesis].

The distinctive ecology of the border is made possible by its ability to adapt to the strength and flexibility of the river, and also contributes to the creation of an ambiguous space in which many forms of violence are perpetrated against any punishment. Mixed warfare methods explicitly mobilize environmental factors. Thus, “nature” can no longer be an alibi but is directly involved in the production of death at the border.

What is the role of water in the politics of death at the border? Here river waters stand at the intersection of connection-division, and life-death3 What happened in the Evros/Meriç/Maritsa river is a product of multiple organizational technologies used to control territorial sovereignty. The main concern is the mobilization of major infrastructures: the dam and the release of water downstream would be a direct threat to the lives of asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU. If Bulgaria had opened the dam, this would have been based on its contribution to fortifying the external borders of the European fortress.

The River Summary

Thrace as a Shared Land

-In the past the region was home to a diverse population, due to being citizens of empires and they created a common culture that uniquely belongs to Thrace.

-The forced population exchange was based solely on people’s reigious identity, not considering ethnicity or spoken language, which caused many to be left on the wrong side of the river

-The decision making process on transforming Evros river into a political border was based on the flexibility of natural resources. It meant that river could act as a defense mechanism if needed.

Where Land Meets Sea

-The community of Evros Delta deals not only with isolation and distance to cultural and social sources but they are also recognised with a bad image among the citizens of Thrace as they play an active role in the border protection.

Beyond Water

-Due to the constant political disagreements and challanges between the two countries the region’s militarization is increasing every year. The construction of the border wall is a constant reminder to citizens of the region that they are living on the country’s edge and consequently the border villages of Evros river are facing serious issues such as depopulation and abandonement.