Greek Tourism Minister Avramopoulos on whilrwind visit to Ankara, Istanbul

Author John Carr describes Avramopoulos as “one of those all-too-rare people in modern governments – a man with a clear idea of what he wants to do, and the ability to do it...”

Hard to believe, but it's the 40th anniversary of one of the world's most famous films – “Topkapi” with Melina Mercouri, Peter Ustinov and Maximilian Schell. Greek Tourism Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos and Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Erkan Mumcu are opening an exhibition of posters from the film at Topkapi Palace today. The posters from the film will be on display until Jan. 10. [Hopefully this will be one of many other exhibitions in the future like the one on Byzantine masks and garments that Spyros Mercouri, the actress' brother, has organized at several important places around the world and which is expected to be here in 2006 after Scala in Italy in May 2005.]

The plot of the film centered around an attempt to steal a famous emerald and diamond-studded knife kept in the Treasury at Topkapi Palace. Originally intended as a gift from the Ottoman sultan to the ruler of Iran in the 18th century, the knife was returned to Topkapi Palace when the ambassadorial entourage on the road to Iran learned that the Iranian shah had been killed. And there it has remained despite the Mercouri, Ustinov and Schell attempt to “steal” it although it is currently on display elsewhere.

The memories came flooding back of the filming of “Topkapi” and of the film crew staying at the Istanbul Hilton Hotel. That was a special time that I'll write about at a later date and the other times he and I crossed paths.

I met Avramopoulos in Vancouver, B.C., for the first time at a dinner held in his honor by Eleni Lianidou, who was the Greek consul general there at the time and today is the press counselor in Greece's Foreign Affairs Ministry. When Recep Tayyip Erdogan's name came up in a discussion of Turkish politics, his face lit up.

Avramopoulos was met at Ankara's Esenboga Airport yesterday by Turkey's culture and tourism minister, Erkan Mumcu, who hosted him at a luncheon. In the evening the Greek minister was to be entertained at a dinner by Prime Minister Erdogan in his own home, a testimony to the friendship that has grown up between the two men, a friendship greater than what one would expect between two politicians of different countries. And not just football.

This close relationship between Avramopoulos and Turkey was strengthened by the devastating earthquake in the country's Marmara region in August 1999. Avramopoulos, who was mayor of Athens at the time, arrived to coordinate an earthquake relief initiative undertaken by Greece's five biggest municipalities. He toured the worst-hit areas of Istanbul, receiving a warm reception from local residents. Later a decision was made to create a camp for the earthquake victims and provide humanitarian aid.

In a related development, countless messages reached the Greek Embassy in Ankara from various Turkish citizens thanking the Greek people for the humanitarian aid offered. Many callers requested the telephone numbers and addresses of agencies in Greece to express their gratitude, embassy officials said. Turkish public opinion was especially moved by the Greek emergency task force following the televised rescue of a child. Turkish daily Milliyet wrote: "It was revealed that the Greek people are friends in these difficult times for Turkey. Now the image of Greeks is different in Turkey, as Turkey's image is different in Greece."

An all-too-rare person

Author John Carr describes Avramopoulos as “one of those all-too-rare people in modern governments – a man with a clear idea of what he wants to do, and the ability to do it. Appointed minister of tourism last March, he dived into the task with the kind of crisp energy that got him into the headlines when he served as Mayor of Athens between 1994 and 2002.

“The image of Greece as a northern European playground of sun, sea and tinkling bouzouki – and maybe that old Acropolis for those who had time for it – was too simplistic for this day and age, he quickly concluded. The very fact that tourism now has a fully-fledged cabinet member to administer its fortunes is a measure of how the present Greek government hopes to marshal unused economic and business potential to make Greece into what the current official slogan now proclaims – the Ultimate Destination. ‘Today tourism accounts for about 18 percent of GDP,' says Avramopoulos. ‘In five years, it's going to be more than 25 percent and in 10 years, 30 percent. We receive about 13 million tourists a year. Our aim is to go for 18 million within four years. For this we will need better infrastructure, better transport, better everything. Tourism is the vehicle for development in this country'."

And as minister of tourism, Avramopoulos proposed establishing regional offices and set off on a series of visits to touristic areas in Greece prior to the holding of the Olympic Games in Athens this past summer. He would say after his visits that he felt he understood the problems much better, what was right and what was wrong with the various Greek laws concerning tourism and what could be done to improve the tourism in Greece that has been declining in recent years.

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PUT IN BOX

Born in Athens in 1953, Avramopoulos studied political science and public law at the University of Athens and received two postgraduate degrees in European studies and international organization at the Universities of Brussels and Boston respectively. In 1978 he enlisted in the Air Force and served for two years. In 1980 he joined the Diplomatic Service and. following a successful diplomatic career in the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1980-1993), he entered the political arena and the same year was elected a member of parliament.

In 1994, after having served just eight months in parliament, he was elected among the top of the Central Committee list in the New Democracy Party. In October 1994 he was elected mayor of Athens, casting off his party affiliations, and in October 1998 he was re-elected for a second four-year term as mayor of Athens in a landslide victory.

Avramopoulos convened the first Conference of Mayors of Southeastern European Capitals, which led to the establishment of a new permanent regional institution with its secretariat in Athens. The mayor of Athens initiated a new concept in the field of international relations, the Diplomacy of the Cities, which received the official endorsement of Kofi Anan, secretary-general of the United Nations. He has also taken the initiative for an International Prize for Democracy under the auspices of UNESCO as well as for the creation of a World Union of Olympic Cities, a proposal that was accepted by the president of the International Olympic Committee. He has been made an honorary citizen of 26 Greek and six foreign cities.

He has received many honors and awards from several countries (Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Yugoslavia).

Described as telegenic, handsome, well dressed and never at a loss for words, Avramopoulos has appealed not just to conservatives but also socialists and even some communists. He attempted to set up a third political party, the Free-Citizens Movement, between 2000 and 2002 but suspended its activities. In March 2004 he was appointed to be Greece's tourism minister, a position he still holds today.