Commemoration of “January 29 National Resistance and Social Solidarity Day” held in İzmit
Western Thrace Turkish Minority Marks a Historic Turning Point
A march and commemorative ceremony were held in İzmit to mark “January 29 National Resistance and Social Solidarity Day,” widely regarded as a turning point in the struggle for rights of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority.
The program was organized by the İzmit Branch of the Western Thrace Turks Solidarity Association (BTTDD) and took place at the Antikkapı Wedding Hall, drawing approximately 800 participants.
The event opened with a speech by Yüksel Öztürk, President of the BTTDD İzmit Branch. This was followed by addresses from Hasan Küçük, President of BTTDD, Tahir Büyükakın, Mayor of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, and İlhami Aktaş, Governor of Kocaeli.
Calls for Minority Rights and International Accountability
In their speeches, Mustafa Trampa, President of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board and Mufti of İskeçe, and Ozan Ahmetoğlu, journalist and Head of the Board of Trustees of the İskeçe Minority Middle and High School, emphasized the historical significance and long-term consequences of the January 29 events, while also highlighting the current challenges faced by the Turkish minority.
Following the indoor program, participants marched from Antikkapı to the National Identity and Resistance Monument as part of the January 29 commemorative procession.
Reading the press statement at the monument, BTTDD President Hasan Küçük stated that Greece continues to systematically violate the Western Thrace Turkish Minority’s rights in areas including education, religious freedom, association, property ownership, and ethnic identity. He underlined that binding rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) have been deliberately ignored for years.
Küçük warned that the silence of the international community in the face of these violations normalizes unlawful practices and emboldens further abuses:
“This double standard in human rights is unacceptable. Turning a blind eye to the violations suffered by the Western Thrace Turkish Minority is a clear betrayal of universal human rights. The Turkish presence in Western Thrace is an undeniable reality. Any attempt to deny Turkish identity is a direct challenge to the Treaty of Lausanne, the European Convention on Human Rights, and universal legal norms.”
Tribute at the National Monument
After a prayer led by Mufti Mustafa Trampa, participants laid carnations at the National Identity and Resistance Monument.
Among those attending the program were Governor İlhami Aktaş, Mayor Tahir Büyükakın, İzmit District Governor Yusuf Ziya Çelikkaya, Başiskele Mayor Yasin Özlü, BBP Kocaeli Provincial Chairman Metehan Küpçü, Deputy President of TİKA Yahya Coşkun, Head of Cultural and Social Affairs at YTB Zülgaip Akkuş, BTTDD İzmit Branch President Yüksel Öztürk, and numerous members of the Western Thrace Turkish community.
