Greek Ombudsman highlights violations of the rule of law in the country

In an article published on the Politico news portal titled "Greece, the country that lets justice slip away", the state of the rule of law in Greece was discussed. The article, which referred to the train crash in Tempi, the Pylos shipwreck and illegal wiretapping, also included the words of Greek Ombudsman Andreas Pottakis.

Pointing out that there is a feeling that there is a systematic and coordinated effort to downplay certain events in the country, Pottakis noted that this leads to "suspicions of cover-up attempts" and negligence "which may involve the political leadership". Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), said: "The Greek Ombudsman's remarks on the possible active role of the government in the systematic violation of the rule of law in our country Greece are quite remarkable. In a joint statement issued recently by fourteen human rights and media freedom organisations, the government's responsibility for the deterioration of the rule of law in our country was also referred to. Both the resolution of the European Parliament in February 2024 and the 2024 report of the European Union (EU) Commission, to which ABTTF also contributed in writing, stated that the rule of law in our country was under serious threat. As the Turkish community in Western Thrace, we have been experiencing this situation for years. Despite the change of governments, our country has not implemented the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights in the Bekir Usta and Others Group of Cases for more than 16 years. Our country, which deliberately politicises these judgments and constantly plays for time despite all the warnings of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, continues to violate the freedom of association of our society."