ABTTF makes statement on 'European Day of Languages'

In his statement, ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu said, “On behalf of the ABTTF family, we celebrate the European Day of Languages, which is observed by millions across Europe, where approximately one in seven people belongs to a local or national minority or speaks a minority language. As the Turkish community of Western Thrace, however, we celebrate this important day with a heavy heart. Despite our ongoing requests for bilingual kindergartens offering education in both Turkish and Greek, these demands have been ignored for years. Our children are deprived of their basic right to learn their mother tongue, Turkish. In the Rodopi region, where we make up the majority of the population, and in Xanthi, where we comprise nearly half the population, there is not a single Turkish minority kindergarten. Furthermore, despite the educational autonomy granted to us under the 1923 Lausanne Treaty, our primary schools are being closed unilaterally by ministerial decisions. In 2011, there were 188 Turkish primary schools in Western Thrace, but this number has now fallen to just 86. We call on the Council of Europe and the EU member state of Greece to immediately remove all obstacles preventing our children from learning and using Turkish as their mother tongue, and to permit the establishment of bilingual Turkish minority kindergartens in Western Thrace.”

The European Day of Languages, initiated by the Council of Europe in 2001 and celebrated annually on September 26, emphasizes the importance of linguistic diversity and multilingualism.

On this day, the Council of Europe and the European Union highlight the role of linguistic diversity in fostering intercultural understanding and recognize it as a significant part of Europe’s rich heritage. Over 200 different languages are spoken across Europe, more than 60 of which are regional or minority languages.