Love Across the Aegean: A Greek-Turkish Romance Blossoms on Kastellorizo

Tsikos Magiafis and his household successful Kastellorizo. Credit: Greek Reporter

A Greek-Turkish romance blossoming connected the land of Kastellorizo is much than a emotion story—it’s a quiescent triumph implicit borders, history, and distance. Across the constrictive agelong of oversea that divides Greece and Turkey, emotion recovered a way.

Tsikos Magiafis, a Greek antheral from the land of Kastellorizo, and Khourigyur, a Turkish pistillate from the coastal municipality of Kaş, met done Facebook. Despite surviving conscionable a fewer nautical miles apart, they came from countries often defined by their differences.

Yet those differences didn’t basal a accidental against love.

Their narration marks a historical archetypal for the island: ne'er earlier has a Greek antheral from Kastellorizo joined a Turkish woman. The mates were wed successful a civilian ceremonial successful Istanbul. “We encountered respective bureaucratic obstacles, but we yet made it due to the fact that our emotion was beardown enough,” Magiafis told Greek Reporter.

Tsiko expressed pridefulness successful their union, emphasizing however emotion bridged what authorities could not. “I’m proud,” helium said. “Because the differences betwixt our countries didn’t halt us.”

Family objected astatine first

Tsikos Magiafis proposes to his Turkish girlfriend. Credit: Photo provided.

Naturally, determination were archetypal reservations—especially from Magiafis’ accepted Greek family.

“My parents had their objections astatine first,” helium admitted. “But erstwhile they met Khourigyur and saw however blessed I was, they fto spell of everything.”

A spiritual wedding is besides connected the skyline erstwhile Khourigyur is baptized, though Magiafis made it wide that their enslaved is rooted successful communal respect supra all.

“If my woman didn’t privation to alteration religion, I would’ve converted instead. God is one,” helium said.

On Kastellorizo, wherever relations with their Turkish neighbors successful Kaş are amazingly warm, their emotion communicative hasn’t raised eyebrows but inspired smiles. Residents of the 2 communities often transverse the oversea for shopping, gatherings, and adjacent weddings.

“We person fantabulous relations with the radical of Kaş,” Tsiko said. “It’s easier for america to spell determination than to the adjacent Greek island.”

And what astir the connection barrier?

“We bash conflict a bit—my Turkish is poor, and Khourigyur’s Greek isn’t great. But erstwhile there’s love, everything other is conscionable details.”

In the end, Tsiko and Khourigyur’s communicative is simply a reminder that emotion knows nary borders, politics, oregon connection it cannot learn.

Greek-Turkish romance connected Kastellorizo

Kastellorizo is simply a tiny yet strikingly beauteous Greek land lying astatine the southeasternmost borderline of the Aegean Sea, conscionable a fewer kilometers off the Turkish coast.

Despite its distant location, it boasts a heavy and layered history, shaped by successive waves of conquerors—Romans, Byzantines, Knights of St. John, Ottomans, Italians—and by the resilience of its ain people.

The island’s name, derived from the medieval “Castello Rosso” (Red Castle), refers to the reddish stone connected which the Knights of St. John built their fortress successful the 14th century. Today, the remains of that castle inactive crown the elevation supra the harbor, keeping soundless ticker implicit the colorful neoclassical houses that enactment the waterfront below.

Related: The Blue Cave of Kastellorizo: A Hidden Gem of Greece