ABTTF President Habipoğlu: "Our country treats its own Minority as stepchildren"
Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), criticized Greece’s treatment of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, highlighting the country's double standards on human and minority rights. Habipoğlu stated, "Since joining the EU in 1981, our country has called on Albania, aspiring for EU membership, to fully respect the rights of the Greek minority. Yet, the same Greece denies the Turkish identity of the Western Thrace Turkish community and bans associations with the names 'Turkish' or 'Western Thrace.'"
His remarks followed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s comments during the inauguration of the Thessaloniki metro, where he emphasized protecting the rights of the Greek minority in Albania. Habipoğlu pointed out that Greece has failed to implement European Court of Human Rights rulings for over 16 years and systematically violates the principle of the rule of law.
“Before lecturing other countries, Prime Minister Mitsotakis must address Greece’s own record on minority rights and fully adhere to the principles of democracy and the rule of law,” Habipoğlu concluded.
