ABTTF takes the incidents in Western Thrace during the elections to the UN

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), in its written statement submitted to the 53rd Ordinary Session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva, brought the targeting attitudes and discourses against the Turkish community in Western Thrace to the UN agenda following the elections held in Greece on 21 May.

ABTTF stated that the statements made by the opposition, the government and the media that Turkey interfered in the elections through its consulate in Komotini made the whole community a target in the elections held on 21 May 2023 and that SYRIZA Rhodope Province MP candidate Özgür Ferhat, who belongs to the Turkish community in Western Thrace, came first in the elections.

ABTTF stated that instead of respecting the election results, an ugly smear campaign was carried out with baseless, untrue allegations in order to prevent the Turkish candidates who received high votes in the first round from being nominated from the top of the list in the second round and criticised the use of the society as an election material in the period between the two elections.

ABTTF stated that during the inter-election period Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis openly expressed the allegation that Turkey interfered in the elections and noted that Dora Bakoyanni, one of the leading figures of the New Democracy Party, said in a threatening manner in the Turkish village she visited in the province of Rodopi that if Western Thrace Turks did not support the party, things would be difficult in the future. ABTTF stated that these statements were aimed at intimidating and frightening the community and cited examples of articles in the press in the period between the two elections which marginalised the Turkish community in Western Thrace and portrayed it as a threat to the integrity of the country.

ABTTF stated that stigmatising and marginalising the Turkish community in Western Thrace by making it a scapegoat harms democracy in the country and noted that a clear example of this was experienced in the first elections.

Reminding that it is natural for Turkish voters to support Turkish candidates in an environment where the Turkish community in Western Thrace is ignored, ABTTF stated that the free will and choice of the voters are not respected and that the community clearly demonstrated its existence with its Turkish identity by supporting Turkish candidates in the elections.