ABTTF submits written contribution to UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) has submitted its written contribution to the office of UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Prof. Nicolas Levrat, in preparation for his thematic report to be presented at the 61st Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council in March 2026.
In its contribution, ABTTF detailed Greece’s policies toward minorities, highlighting the challenges faced by the Western Thrace Turkish community and the human rights violations it endures.
ABTTF noted that Greece does not grant official minority status to any national or ethnic group. However, the Western Thrace Turkish community, which was officially recognized as a minority and granted rights under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, has had its ethnic Turkish identity denied by the Greek state.
The federation also pointed out that approximately 60,000 Western Thrace Turks were stripped of their citizenship under Article 19 of the Greek Citizenship Code, which was in effect from 1955 to 1998 and contained discriminatory provisions. Additionally, ABTTF emphasized that associations with the word “Turk” in their names have been shut down, and Greece has failed to implement European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings against it in the Bekir Usta and Others case for 17 years, violating the community’s right to freedom of association.
ABTTF further highlighted that Greece has systematically undermined the educational and religious autonomy of the Western Thrace Turkish community—rights guaranteed under the Treaty of Lausanne—through various laws and unilateral actions. It stated that autonomous Turkish primary schools have been closed, Turkish-appointed muftis have not been recognized, and a recent law has transformed the autonomous mufti offices into regular public institutions directly under the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports.
Additionally, ABTTF expressed concern over the stigmatization and hate speech targeting human rights defenders and organizations representing the Western Thrace Turkish community in Greek politics and mainstream media. It noted that such rhetoric reflects a broader pattern of structural and systematic discrimination, portraying the Turkish community as "outsiders" or "foreigners" despite their centuries-long presence in the country.
Concluding its contribution, ABTTF stated that Greece’s refusal to recognize national minorities and its assimilation policies constitute official state policy. It called on Greece to restore the Western Thrace Turkish community’s educational and religious autonomy and to establish a consultation mechanism with broad participation from the community’s representatives to address existing issues.
