ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu criticizes Greek Defense Minister Dendias's remarks on Thrace
During the event, Dendias referred to the Muslim minority in Western Thrace as "an inseparable part of Thrace’s Greek identity." He emphasized the region’s strategic importance to Greece, the European Union, and the Western world. "Trakya (Thrace) will play an increasingly important role for Greece and Europe in the future. I want to specifically mention the Muslim minority and say that they are an inseparable part of the Greekness of Thrace," Dendias stated.
In response, ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu issued a statement questioning Dendias's characterization of the minority. "If Minister Dendias is implying that the Turkish community in Western Thrace is part of the Greek identity, then this statement is problematic. Our existence as Western Thrace Turks is an undeniable reality. We are a part of this country, and as we have always said, we are a source of richness for Greece," Habipoğlu said.
He further emphasized that the rights and status of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace are protected under the Treaty of Lausanne, which guarantees their educational and religious autonomy. "If Dendias views our presence as part of ‘Greekness,’ then we must strongly oppose such a notion. Just as the non-Muslim minority in Istanbul, Bozcaada, and Gökçeada are recognized as Greek, we are equally Turkish and part of the Western Thrace Turkish community," Habipoğlu added.
Habipoğlu concluded by calling on the Greek government to respect the community's autonomy in education and religion, warning against any attempts to deny their Turkish identity. "Denying our identity is akin to calling black white, and we will never accept that," he said.
