ABTTF: Our country usurps our children's right to education

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) reacted against the decision of the administration to close down Turkish minority schools. 

In a written statement released by ABTTF, "Our country, disregarding our educational autonomy, continues to close down our primary schools with autonomous status belonging to our community by using the excuse of insufficient number of students and usurps our children's right to education" was said.

"Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), stated the following on the issue: "Although the Turkish community in Western Thrace has educational autonomy in accordance with the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and has the right to establish and manage its own schools, our educational autonomy has been destroyed through various laws and arbitrary practices over the years. Our country, disregarding our educational autonomy, continues to close our primary schools with autonomous status belonging to our community by using the excuse of insufficient number of students and usurps the right to education of our children. On the one hand, the Greek primary school opened for only 3 students with the permission of our motherland in Gökçeada upon the request of the Greek Orthodox minority, with whom we share the same fate, and on the other hand, our Turkish primary schools with autonomous status, which are closed one by one every year by our country! The purpose here is obvious: Our educational autonomy, which is guaranteed by treaties, is wanted to be completely eliminated by the state with a long-term plan. We call on our country to respect the educational autonomy and the right to education of our community by taking our motherland as an example, and we demand an immediate end to the closure of our community's primary schools under the pretext of lack of students."