ABTTF participates in FUEN 68th Congress in Germany
Hosted by the North Frisian minority in Germany, the congress celebrated FUEN's 75th anniversary and included the participation of ABTTF President and spokesperson of the FUEN Turkish Minorities/Communities Working Group (TAG), Halit Habip Oğlu, along with ABTTF Vice President and FUEN Vice President Nabi İbrahimcik, and ABTTF Central Office Officer K. Engin Soyyılmaz. Additionally, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kaymakçı, President of the Rodos, İstanköy, and Twelve Islands Turks Cultural and Solidarity Association (ROİSDER), and board member Raşit Tavşancı were also present.
The congress saw the participation of 180 individuals from 30 European countries. During panel discussions, the status of the North Frisian minority was highlighted through cultural performances, and the future of minority rights within the European Union (EU) was discussed, including FUEN’s 2099 vision with the involvement of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), national politicians, and experts.
The traditional “Minorities Market” organized during the congress showcased the culture and issues of the Western Thrace Turks and the Turks from Rodos, İstanköy, and the Twelve Islands.
Resolutions Presented by Western Thrace Turks Approved
On Saturday, 11 September, during the FUEN Delegates Assembly, the joint resolution proposal presented by ABTTF, the Association of Graduates of High Education from the Western Thrace Minority (BTAYTD), and the Friendship Equality Peace (DEB) Party representing the Western Thrace Turkish community was unanimously accepted.
The resolution noted that although the Western Thrace Fenerbahçeliler Cultural and Sports Association, established by the Turkish community, was officially registered by a court in October 2022, the Rodopi Single-Member District Court ruled on 28 May 2024 that the inclusion of “Western Thrace” in its name was against laws and public order, posing a threat to the country’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.
It emphasized Greece's continued failure to implement the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings concerning the Bekir Usta and Others Case Group for 16 years, highlighting violations of obligations arising from the European Convention on Human Rights. The resolution called on Greece to recognize the ethnic Turkish identity of the Western Thrace Turkish community, guarantee freedom of association, and annul the court ruling regarding the closure of the Western Thrace Fenerbahçeliler Cultural and Sports Association.
Additionally, a resolution presented by ROİSDER, calling for an end to verbal attacks targeting ROİSDER in the Greek National Assembly and recognition of the Turkish presence in the Twelve Islands, was also unanimously approved.
The main resolution concerning the development of the European legal framework for the protection and promotion of minorities was likewise adopted unanimously, along with amendments to four articles of the FUEN statutes.
New Minority Organizations Join FUEN Family
During the Delegates Assembly, organizations representing the Slovenian minority in Austria and the German minority in Lithuania became full members of FUEN. Furthermore, organizations representing the Roma minority in Austria, the Swedish minority in Finland, the Hungarian minority in Romania, and the Bashkurt organization “Dusylk” in Ukraine were accepted as supporting members of FUEN.
FUEN 2025 Congress and EUROPEADA 2028 Announced for Italy
The Delegates Assembly decided that the FUEN 2025 Congress would be hosted by the German and Ladin minorities, while the national minority football championship, EUROPEADA 2028, will be held in Italy, hosted by the Slovenian minority and the Friulians.
