Turkish flag to be hoisted in Macedonia

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Well, here's a beautiful example of international law that SCOTUS can cite as it decides to allow foreign flags to be flown in those areas where foreign influence is heavy.

And just days before the Albanian flag was given legal rights to be flown in Macedonia:

Macedonian law allows Albanian flag to be flown

15 Jul 2005 16:05:05 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Kole Casule

SKOPJE, July 15 (Reuters) - Macedonia passed a law on Friday allowing ethnic Albanians to display the Albanian national flag in areas where they form the majority, the final stage of a 2001 peace accord .

Parliament approved the measure by 50 votes to four after two weeks of fierce debate. Opposition deputies left before the vote. The law allows the Albanian flag to be hoisted on public buildings alongside the Macedonian flag in areas where Albanians make up more than half the population, which applies to 16 of the country's 84 municipalities.

With the vote, Macedonia has met in full the terms of the so-called Ohrid accord, which ended seven months of clashes between government forces and ethnic Albanian rebels.

"This law holds more importance than just its material substance," Jani Makraduli of the ruling Social Democrats told Reuters. "Its value is greater. It completes a process."

Under the Western-brokered deal, the rebels agreed to lay down their arms and enter politics in return for greater rights for the 25-percent ethnic Albanian minority.

The accord has taken four years to reach completion, having been passed piece-by-piece by an often hostile parliament. Nationalists say Macedonia has conceded too much to the ethnic Albanian minority and risks widening the ethnic divide.

The European Union has said full passage of the deal is essential to Macedonia's membership application. The government, which includes a party that emerged from the rebel army, hopes to secure EU candidate status next year.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said implementation of the peace deal "has underpinned a process of rapid stabilisation and normalisation of the situation".

"The country is now in much better shape than four years ago. Instead of facing a destructive conflict, it is now engaged in a constructive struggle for membership in the European Union," Solana said in a statement issued after Friday's vote.

He noted that language rights might still have to be ironed out.

Another example of why Muslims who think like this -- should be banned from entering ANY country...

They NEVER assimilate into the country or culture they move to ---- they accept the host country's welfare, educational and employment benefits, then aggressivly "act out" and claim the host nation as their own....

They behave more as a cancer than a ethnic group....

In EVERY part of the world, were Islamic nations border non-Islamic nations -- there is violence or outright war..

Until Muslims can convince the world they have gone through their reformation ---- they should be confined to their Turd World hovels.....
They're not ready to live in civilized society...

Turn the lights on folks, and check things out...

Semper Fi

Macedonia passed a law allowing the display of the Turkish flag in areas where the Turks form the majority....

What idiot thought that that was a good idea?

If a flag is a symbol of national unity how do you keep a nation united by flying separate flags for each faction?

Gee, I wonder what King Philip of Macedonia and Alexander the Great think about this? This is what happens when you forget your history.

"This is what happens when you forget your history."

No, I'm sorry but I can't agree with you on that comment as the Macedonians haven't forgotten their history. This is what happens when your government desperately wants to become a member of EU. They end up selling your soul to the devil.

Well it seems the US seems to think this was a "wonderful" step taken by the Macedonian government. From the US State Department's website:

19 July 2005

U.S. Hails Macedonian Parliament's Final Step on Ohrid Agreement
State Department calls on all parties to continue to fully implement all requirements

The United States has welcomed steps taken by the Macedonian Parliament that complete the legislative requirements of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended fighting between government security forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents in 2001.

“We call on all parties in Macedonia to continue to fully implement all Framework Agreement requirements, as well as their commitment to the rule of law and to the resolution of disagreements through dialogue and negotiation,” said deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli July 19.

Following is his statement:

(begin text)

U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman
July 19, 2005

Statement By Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman

MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENT REACHES MILESTONE ON 2001 OHRID AGREEMENT

The United States welcomes the Macedonian Parliament's approval on July 15 of the Law on Community Symbols, the final step in completing the legislative requirements of the 2001 Ohrid Framework Agreement. Since 2001, the leaders of Macedonia have worked to create a stable, multi-ethnic country on the path to joining the Euro-Atlantic community. They adopted important constitutional amendments and changed more than seventy laws to fulfill the legislative agenda of the Framework Agreement.

Much remains to be done to implement the legislative changes. We call on all parties in Macedonia to continue to fully implement all Framework Agreement requirements, as well as their commitment to the rule of law and to the resolution of disagreements through dialogue and negotiation. Macedonia will have the continued friendship and support of the United States in these efforts.

http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2005&m=July&x=20050719180020xlrenneF0.3424494&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html

[QUOTE]Gee, I wonder what King Philip of Macedonia and Alexander the Great think about this? This is what happens when you forget your history.[QUOTE]

Nothing, 'cause after 2000 years plus of re-populations in the region it isn't the same region that they knew.