ABTTF President Habipoğlu holds meetings in Brussels
President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), Halit Habipoğlu, paid a working visit to Brussels, the capital of the European Union, on Tuesday, 9 December. He was accompanied by Deniz Servantie from the ABTTF Brussels Office.
During his visit, Habipoğlu met with Members of the European Parliament Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew Europe, Bulgaria – representative of the Turkish community in Bulgaria) and Loránt Vincze (EPP, Romania), who represents the Hungarian minority in Romania and serves as Chair of the EP Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages.
The discussions with MEPs involved in minority rights focused on the current issues faced by the Western Thrace Turkish community and recent developments in Greece. The participants also evaluated developments concerning national minorities within the European Union throughout 2025.
Habipoğlu emphasized that in 2025 the decline in the rule of law and judicial independence in Greece continued, stressing that Greece has still not implemented the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments concerning Turkish associations in the Bekir Usta and Others group of cases—despite decisions by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers and despite the passage of nearly 18 years.
The visit also included an exchange of views on cooperation and joint initiatives for 2026 within the framework of the EP Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages and other relevant platforms.
