EFA raises alarm over alleged targeting of Macedonian and Turkish minorities in Greece
The European Free Alliance’s (EFA) Linguistic and Minority Rights Working Group has expressed serious concern over what it describes as an escalating campaign of intimidation and pressure against ethnic Macedonian and Turkish minorities in Greece.
In a declaration, the group said that pressure on both communities intensified during the summers of 2024 and 2025 and has continued into 2026, shifting from administrative restrictions to criminal complaints, judicial proceedings and interference with cultural activities.
The statement calls on European and international institutions to intervene and urges Greece to comply with its human and minority rights obligations.
Macedonian cultural events under scrutiny
The EFA working group said that authorities in Western Macedonia, particularly in the Florina regional unit, have disrupted cultural festivals featuring traditional Macedonian-language singing and dancing.
It cites incidents in Aetos and Amynteo, where events were reportedly affected by Labour Inspectorate inspections, noise complaints and premature cancellations. In Sklithro, a Macedonian-language performance was allegedly interrupted by a deputy regional governor.
The declaration also refers to criminal complaints targeting members of the Macedonian community, including individuals accused of participating in cultural festivals.
According to the group, a recent lawsuit filed by a Greek lawyer targets 15 members of the Macedonian minority, the Krste Misirkov organisation and the Friendship, Equality and Peace Party (DEB), which represents the Turkish minority.
The EFA argues that such measures disproportionately affect minority cultural events and create an atmosphere of intimidation.
Four Turkish minority representatives sentenced
The declaration also raises concerns about developments involving the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.
It refers to an incident at the Çınar Mosque in Xanthi (İskeçe) in October 2024, when muftis appointed by the Greek authorities reportedly became involved in a confrontation with members and representatives of the Turkish minority.
Following the incident, criminal proceedings were initiated against four minority representatives. According to the EFA statement, all four were sentenced to 17 months in prison after a trial in June 2026.
The working group also questions the procedures surrounding the formation of a 33-member advisory committee involved in the selection of muftis. The committee was convened in Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) in January 2026, followed by appointments in Xanthi (İskeçe) and Komotini (Gümülcine) in October.
The EFA says the committee members were not recognised by the Turkish minority and raises further questions over media reports that some members were salaried public-sector employees.
The group warns that appointing religious leaders without the acceptance of the communities concerned risks undermining confidence and increasing tensions.
European court rulings remain unimplemented
A central issue raised in the declaration is Greece’s continued failure to implement several judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) concerning minority associations.
The EFA highlights the case of House of Macedonian Civilisation and Others v. Greece, arguing that the judgment remains unimplemented more than a decade after the relevant proceedings.
It also points to the Bekir Ousta Group of Cases, concerning associations established by members of the Turkish minority, whose judgments have reportedly remained unimplemented for 18 years.
The declaration further refers to a June 2026 ECtHR judgment concerning the Xanthi Turkish Women’s Cultural Association, in which the court found Greece in violation of its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Despite the ruling, the Greek Court of Appeal subsequently rejected the application seeking implementation of the judgment and registration of the association, according to the EFA.
The issues were also addressed in a monitoring report on Greece published by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in September 2026.
The working group notes that although an expert committee established by the Greek authorities in 2024 examined the outstanding cases, no substantial implementation measures have followed.
EFA calls for European intervention
The EFA working group has called on the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the European Parliament to take action.
Its demands include holding Greece accountable for its minority rights obligations, monitoring alleged violations and urging Greek authorities to end what it describes as targeted intimidation and harassment.
The group is also calling for the implementation of all relevant ECtHR judgments, the protection of minority cultural and linguistic organisations, and measures to combat hate speech.
It further demands an end to what it describes as the long-standing denial of the ethnic identity of Macedonian and Turkish minorities in Greece.
The declaration concludes by reaffirming the working group’s support for both communities and its commitment to minority rights, equality and justice across Europe.
