ABTTF raises Turkish Minority issues in Brussels
On Wednesday, the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) brought attention to the human rights violations faced by Turkish minority at a key event in the European Parliament, while also engaging in high-level meetings in Brussels.
ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu, International Relations Director Melek Kırmacı, and Brussels Office representative Deniz Servantie participated in the event titled “Name, Identity, Memory: 40 Years Since the Changing of Muslim-Turkish Names in Bulgaria”, hosted by MEP İlhan Küçük. The event highlighted systematic discrimination against the Turkish community in Western Thrace. European Parliament member and FUEN President Lorant Vincze and the EU Commission’s Coordinator for Combating Hate Against Muslims, Marion Lalisse, also attended.
During the event, Habipoğlu emphasized that Greece refuses to recognize the identity of Western Thrace Turks and systematically attempts to abolish their educational and religious autonomy. Kırmacı detailed violations including restrictive citizenship laws, closure of minority schools, state control over mufti offices, and Greece’s ongoing non-compliance with European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings.
Later that day, the ABTTF delegation met with MEP Herbert Dorfmann, who represents the German minority in Italy. Habipoğlu reiterated that Greece has ignored ECHR rulings for 17 years and cited the closure of new associations bearing the “Western Thrace” name. The delegation also discussed ongoing legal action against a defamatory Greek news outlet.
This visit marked a significant step in raising awareness of minority rights violations faced by Western Thrace Turks at the European level and exploring cooperation opportunities within the European Parliament.
