More than 2,500 Turkish visitors are expected by the end of the week in Thessaloniki to celebrate the Bairam, the completion of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting of Muslims. The Customs Office in Evros border has already been overwhelmed by Turkish tourists, who have started arriving in the country since Saturday.
Thessaloniki, Chalkidiki and Thassos island are the main destinations of theTurkish visitors, said Chrisi Benazi, the Deputy Director of the Customs Office.
According to Stefanos Chatzimanolis, member of the Board of the Greek-Turkish Chamber of Commerce, about 2,500 to 3,000 Turks will celebrate Bairam in the next few days in Thessaloniki. For yet another year, Muslims will be able to perform their religious duties in the Yeni Mosque.
It is estimated that by the end of the year, the Turkish visitors will surpass the Russian tourists who show a strong preference to Thessaloniki.
On the occasion of the queues of vehicles created in Evros during the arrival of the Turkish visitors, the deputy director of the Customs Office raised the issue of staff shortages. She reported that the Greek office in Evros has 32 employees, while the staff in the office in Turkey amounts to 114 people. She also said that 15% of the employees are threatened with dismissal because of the new evaluation law.
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