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The village of Kominades, also known as Shag, is one of the villages situated on the border between Albania and Greece that used to be predominantly populated by Albanians, mainly of the Islamic faith.
This continued until 1924 when, one year after the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, they were forced to abandon everything and relocate to the village of Özvatan in Turkey, where they started a new life.
The special Turkish-Greek agreement not only outlined the borders of modern Turkey after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire but also depicted a series of human dramas.
Some of these stories have been brought to light by the journalist Andrea Danglli in the documentary "Albanians in Turkey," broadcasted on Euronews Albania, where a clear historical tableau is presented between the past and the present.
What happened to the Albanians of this village, and where did they end up after the expulsion? How was the implementation of the Treaty of Lausanne resisted by the official Tirana of that time, and what was the role of the great powers? What is the life of their descendants like today, and what are they seeking from Albania?