ABTTF conducts a working visit to Strasbourg

Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), recently traveled to Strasbourg for a working visit on January 28-29, 2025, coinciding with the Winter Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
Accompanied by ABTTF Central Office Representative K. Engin Soyyılmaz, Habip Oğlu held high-level meetings with Gerardo Giovagnoli, Head of the San Marino National Delegation to PACE, and Iulian Bulai, President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Group. During these discussions, he highlighted the ongoing human rights violations and challenges faced by the Turkish community of Western Thrace.
Key Issues Discussed
🔹 ECHR Rulings Ignored for 17 Years
Habip Oğlu emphasized that Greece has systematically failed to implement the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings regarding the Western Thrace Turkish associations, specifically the Bekir Usta and Others case group. Despite multiple warnings and calls from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, Greece continues to delay the execution of these legal decisions.
🔹 Educational Barriers & School Infrastructure Issues
Habip Oğlu also brought attention to the long-standing infrastructure problems at the Xanthi Turkish Minority Secondary and High School. He criticized Greek authorities for their bureaucratic deadlock, where different institutions pass responsibility to one another, ultimately preventing Western Thrace Turkish children from accessing quality education.
🔹 Discrimination, Hate Speech & Political Marginalization
Highlighting Greece’s systematic denial of the Turkish identity of the Western Thrace Turkish community, Habip Oğlu pointed out the increasing hate speech and marginalization in Greek politics and mainstream media. He noted that key Turkish community leaders are being openly targeted and stigmatized.
🔹 Double Standards in Greece’s Minority Policies
Habip Oğlu condemned Greece’s double standards in minority rights policies, stating that while Athens advocates for the rights of the Greek minority in Albania, it persistently violates the rights of the Turkish community in Western Thrace. He criticized Greece for its failure to uphold basic human and minority rights despite being a founding member of the European Union (EU) and a self-proclaimed pillar of democracy.
Conclusion
The ABTTF working visit to Strasbourg underscores the urgent need for international attention to the ongoing discrimination against the Western Thrace Turkish community. The Federation continues to push for justice, equal rights, and the implementation of ECHR rulings, calling on European institutions to hold Greece accountable for its human rights violations.
🔗 Stay updated with ABTTF’s latest efforts to protect minority rights in Western Thrace.