Council of Europe urges Greece to implement long-standing minority association rulings
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has renewed its criticism of Greece over the continued non-implementation of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings concerning Turkish minority associations in Western Thrace.
Following its June 9–11 meeting, the Committee stated that nearly 18 years after the landmark judgments in the Bekir-Ousta and Others, Emin and Others, and Xanthi Turkish Union cases, insufficient progress has been made in remedying the violations identified by the Court.
The ECHR had previously ruled that Greek authorities violated freedom of association rights by refusing the registration of certain associations and dissolving others.
In its latest decision, the Committee stressed the fundamental importance of freedom of association in a democratic society and noted that affected applicants have still not regained their pre-violation legal status.
While acknowledging legal reforms introduced by Greece in 2017, the Committee concluded that the underlying issues remain unresolved and called for further legislative action aligned with ECHR jurisprudence.
The Committee announced that the case will be reviewed again in December 2026 and warned that additional measures may be considered if tangible progress is not achieved.
