ABTTF brings Western Thrace Turkish Minority’s education dispute to UN Human Rights Council
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) has submitted a written statement to the 61st regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, raising concerns over what it describes as violations of the educational autonomy of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.
In its submission titled “Denial of the Right to Quality Education for Turkish Children Due to the Violation of the Educational Autonomy of the Turkish Community of Western Thrace in Greece,” the ABTTF argues that recent legislative and administrative measures undermine rights guaranteed under the Treaty of Lausanne.
Claims of Eroded Educational Autonomy
The ABTTF recalls that the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne granted the Turkish community in Western Thrace educational autonomy, allowing minority schools to be administered by three-member school boards (encümen heyetleri) elected by parents.
However, the federation contends that the authority of these boards has been progressively curtailed. It points to Law No. 694 (1977), which limited board elections to candidates from a list determined by the governor, and Law No. 695 (1977), which transferred the power to appoint teachers away from the boards.
According to the statement, a 2002 decision by the Greek Ministry of Education effectively stripped the boards of their operational authority over minority schools. The ABTTF further alleges that, despite a legal framework that appears compliant on paper, arbitrary practices continue. Most recently, it claims that the school board of Xanthi Turkish Middle and High School was barred from entering the school building and that its office was vacated.
Concerns Over Law 5056/2023
Citing media reports, the ABTTF states that under Law 5056/2023, all temporary school boards operating in public schools are to be abolished as of August 1, 2026, with their powers transferred to municipalities. The federation warns that if this measure is extended to private and autonomous Turkish minority schools, it would constitute a “serious blow” to educational autonomy.
The organization also criticizes austerity measures adopted in 2010, under which schools with fewer than nine students were suspended and permanently closed after three years. According to ABTTF data, the number of Turkish minority primary schools in Western Thrace declined from 188 in 2011 to 83 in the 2025–2026 academic year.
It further alleges inconsistent implementation of reopening criteria. The Turkish minority primary school in Mizanlı village, reportedly closed due to insufficient enrollment during the 2023–2024 academic year, has not reopened despite reaching 10 students in 2025–2026. By contrast, ABTTF notes that a state primary school in Argiri village (Karditsa) reopened in 2024 for a single student, and another in Keçi Adası reopened in 2025 for two students.
Call to Greece
The federation asserts that decisions concerning private and autonomous Turkish minority schools should rest with the Turkish community of Western Thrace and calls on Greece to restore educational autonomy as guaranteed under the Treaty of Lausanne.
The full text of the written statement submitted to the UN Human Rights Council is available on the United Nations documentation portal.
The issue is expected to draw renewed international attention as debates over minority rights, educational governance, and international treaty obligations continue.
