ABTTF: "Happy International Mother Language Day!"

The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) released a statement on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, highlighting the challenges faced by the Western Thrace Turkish community regarding their mother tongue.

In the statement, the demand for bilingual Turkish-Greek kindergartens was reiterated, emphasizing the following:

"The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 1999.

Since 2000, this day has been celebrated annually to promote linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as multilingualism worldwide.

UNESCO underscores the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity for sustainable societies, noting that multilingual and multicultural communities exist through languages that transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures sustainably.

It is estimated that 40% of the world’s population lacks access to education in a language they speak or understand. However, progress has been made in multilingual education, particularly in recognizing its importance in early childhood education.

As the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day is celebrated in 2025, UNESCO acknowledges the dedicated efforts made over the past quarter-century to preserve linguistic diversity and promote the use of mother tongues."

Commenting on the issue, ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu stated:

"As the Western Thrace Turkish community, we once again mark International Mother Language Day with a sense of sorrow. Despite the fact that learning one’s mother tongue and receiving education in it is a fundamental human right, our demand for bilingual Turkish-Greek kindergartens in Greece has been ignored for years. Our children are deprived of learning their mother tongue, Turkish. In Rhodope, where Turks make up the majority of the population, and in Xanthi, where they constitute nearly half, there are 141 state kindergartens in each region—yet not a single Turkish kindergarten! We call on our country to immediately end its discriminatory policies against our community, which are incompatible with fundamental human rights, and on the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day, we once again reiterate our demand for bilingual Turkish kindergartens."