Approximately 800-1000 Greeks have settled in Turkey, mostly in Istanbul due to the economic crisis in Greece, as mentioned in a BBC show.
According to the BBC report, a coffee shop in Cihangi, Istanbul, is always filled with Greeks who come to discuss if they should settle in the city. The coffee shop’s owner, Rena Lialiou, was the subject of an article in the Turkish newspaper Sabah, entitled “The woman who opened the doors of Istanbul to the neighbors.” The article explains that Rena Lialiou settled in Istanbul after she lost her job as a secretary when the financial crisis hit Greece, so she then decided to open her shop in Cihangir.
Rena became a guide for all the Greeks who want to come to Turkey and she is one of the many who settled in Istanbul after the economic crisis in Greece. Rena fell in love with the town, which she had visited once, 10 years ago, and eventually moved to Istanbul 2 years ago.
The Greeks also have a strong presence in the airline industry, particularly as pilots of Turkish Airlines. According to data provided by Turkish Airlines, 67 Greeks are employed by the company, which is the highest number for foreign pilots. Nicholas Karathanassis, one of these pilots said: “We came to Istanbul with my wife, in order for me to continue my career here and bring up our children,” he says.
The Turkish newspaper also interviewed a Greek student Sociology student, Nota Monemvasitou, who moved to Istanbul under the educational program ERASMUS. “I want to start a new life here. I want a better future for myself,” she stated. She also said that compared to Greece, it is much easier to find a job in Istanbul and added: “The economic crisis in Greece is alarming. Life for young people like me is completely unbearable. I was thinking of leaving to start a better future for myself and I chose to come to Istanbul, which feels like home. It seems to me as if I never left Greece.”
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