ABTTF reacts to Stilianidis' statements on FEP Party

In an interview with Parapolitika radio, New Democracy Party (NDP) Rodopi MP Evripidis Stilyanidis talked about the participation of the Friendship Equality Peace (FEP) Party in the European Parliament (EP) elections to be held on Sunday 9 June.

Stilyanidis stated that the participation of the FEP Party in the EP elections is not a new situation, but it has new features and claimed that the attempts to instrumentalise the Muslim minority is an established policy of Türkiye, so that the main aim is not the protection and proper implementation of the rights arising from the Treaty of Lausanne, but the abuse of the treaty in line with its own foreign policy interests.

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) President Halit Habipoğlu stated the following: "In his interview, the MP of our region Stilyanidis once again expressed his delusions about our community by making unfounded accusations against the FEP Party, the only political party of our community. Stilianidis' attempt to portray the legitimate policy of our motherland, which respects the educational and religious autonomy and rights of our community guaranteed by the Treaty of Lausanne, as attempts to instrumentalise our community is absurd. It is obvious that Stilianidis' words, which are incompatible with the facts, do not benefit the positive agenda and dialogue efforts that have gained momentum between our country and our motherland after the recent high-level talks. The fact, which is also fixed by the figures, is that the FEP Party, which participated as the voice of our community, was the first party in the EP elections in 2014 and 2019, receiving the highest number of votes in the provinces of Rodopi and Xanthi. As the Turkish community in Western Thrace, we will make our presence felt more strongly in our country and in Europe by giving our vote to the FEP Party again in the 2024 EP elections and we will announce our problems loudly."