ATHENS

Greece’s 150,000-strong Turkish minority on Friday marked Oxi Day to commemorate when Greece rejected Italy's ultimatum and joined World War II.

Tevfik Huseyinoglu, an author, said they endured the same hardships as their Greek neighbors during the war after Greece joined the Axis powers led by Nazi Germany.

The Turkish minority living in Western Thrace for centuries enjoys good relations with local Greeks and consider Greece their motherland, he added.

“Hence, it was only normal for the minority to fight for Greece at the time,” Huseyinoglu said.

About the book he authored on the issue, he said he visited all Turkish villages in the region to be able to assess the exact figure of casualties the minority suffered during World War II.

The total number of dead and missing in action stands at 593, Huseyinoglu said.

*Writing by Ahmet Gencturk