Turkish newspaper Milliyet has opened a new front in the long-running cultural disputes between Greece and Turkey, claiming that Greeks are attempting to appropriate the zeimbekiko, a traditional dance that Ankara insists is of Turkish origin.
The Istanbul-based daily ran the story on its front page, framing it as a cultural controversy and accusing Greece of trying to claim ownership of what it described as a Turkish traditional dance. The headline posed the question: “Is the zeimbekiko a Greek or a Turkish dance?”
Journalist Manolis Kostidis, reporting for Greek television network SKAI, said the story was being treated with a degree of irony in Turkey but was nonetheless being added to the lengthy list of Greek-Turkish disputes. He noted it represented an unexpected new arena of contention between the two countries.
The TV reporter pointed out that in Turkish television series, actors perform their own version of the “zeybek,” which differs noticeably from the Greek zeimbekiko as portrayed in Greek films and stage productions. Despite similarities in name, the movements, rhythm, and style appear to have distinct origins and character.
The journalist drew a comparison with previous cultural ownership disputes between the two countries over baklava and yogurt, suggesting Milliyet was seeking to add the zeimbekiko to the list of contested cultural heritage items.
