ABTTF accuses Greece of double standards over minority rights
ABTTF President Halit Habip Oğlu has criticized Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ comments on the rights of the Greek national minority in Albania, arguing that Greece applies different standards to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ recent statements on protecting the rights of the Greek national minority in Albania have reignited debate over Greece’s approach to minority rights.
The European Federation of Western Thrace Turks (ABTTF) described Greece’s approach as a “double standard,” arguing that while Athens invokes European Union law and European values when calling for the protection of Greek minorities abroad, it takes a different approach toward the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.
Mitsotakis addressed the situation of the Greek national minority in Albania during a press conference held as part of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair (DETH).
Mitsotakis invokes European law
Mitsotakis said the protection of the Greek national minority in Albania should not be viewed solely within the framework of bilateral relations between Greece and Albania.
According to his remarks, the issue is directly linked to obligations arising from the protection of minority rights under European law and the EU framework.
The Greek prime minister also said Greece would use the rights available to it during Albania’s EU accession process to ensure that the rights of the Greek national minority are adequately protected.
ABTTF: “We see the double standard once again”
Responding to Mitsotakis’ comments, ABTTF President Halit Habip Oğlu said Greece takes a different position when the rights of Greek minorities abroad are compared with those of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.
Habip Oğlu said Greece’s demand for the protection of the Greek national minority in Albania was understandable, but argued that Mitsotakis’ remarks once again demonstrated what he described as a double standard in Greece’s minority policy.
He pointed out that Greece has been an EU member since 1981, but claimed that the rights and freedoms of the Turkish community in Western Thrace have nevertheless been systematically violated for decades.
Habip Oğlu further argued that the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, whose members are both Greek and EU citizens, is being treated as a “stepchild” by the Greek state.
Criticism over implementation of ECHR judgments
The ABTTF president also criticized Greece over the implementation of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judgments concerning the Turkish identity and freedom of association of the Western Thrace Turkish community.
Habip Oğlu claimed that Greece continues to restrict the activities of associations using the name “Turkish” and has failed to implement ECHR judgments concerning violations of the community’s freedom of association for more than 18 years.
He argued that such a situation amounts to disregarding the rule of law, which he described as one of the EU’s fundamental values.
ABTTF calls for Copenhagen Criteria to apply to EU members
Habip Oğlu concluded by emphasizing that the Copenhagen Criteria, covering democracy, the rule of law, human rights and minority rights, should not be considered relevant only to countries seeking EU membership.
He stressed that the criteria should also apply to all 27 existing EU member states, including Greece.
The ABTTF statement called for Greece’s policies toward the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace to be assessed according to the same European legal and political standards that Athens invokes when addressing minority rights in other countries.
