A post made on October 11 by Greece's Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Dimas, on his X account has sparked backlash in Turkey. Dimas shared photos taken in front of a monument to Nikitas Stamatelopoulos, a prominent figure in the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829) known as Nikitaras.
In his post, Dimas referred to Nikitaras as "the hero Nikitas Stamatelopoulos, known as the Turk-eater Nikitaras," sparking a debate on social media regarding hate speech.
FIRST REMOVED, THEN RESTORED
The X platform initially removed the controversial post in the morning, citing violations of community guidelines and the inclusion of hate speech. However, it was noted that the decision was reversed later the same day, and the post became visible again on Dimas's profile.
This decision by X, owned by Elon Musk, has reignited previous debates regarding the platform's boundaries on freedom of expression and hate speech. The restoration of the post has drawn criticism, particularly from the Turkish public.
While Stamatelopoulos, known as Nikitaras, is commemorated in Greece as a figure of the struggle for independence, he is viewed as a controversial historical figure in Turkey due to the massacres that occurred during that period.
News Source: 12punto
