Dancers criticized for declaring Turkish identity, ITB President responds

President of Xanthi Turkish Union, journalist Ozan Ahmetoğlu evaluated the reactions to the statements of two young people from Western Thrace participating in the Eurovision Song Contest "We are from Western Thrace, we are Turks" and the denial of Turkish identity in Greece to Deutsche Welle television of Germany.

Stating that this situation is not surprising for Western Thrace Turks, Ahmetoğlu said: "Because Turkish identity is denied in Greece. We have been experiencing this problem and discrimination for more than 40 years."

Noting that two young people from Western Thrace took part in Greece's Eurovision team, Ahmetoğlu said: "When these young people were speaking to Azerbaijani television, it was noticeable that they knew Turkish and they said that they knew Turkish because they were Western Thrace Turks. Even this statement caused great reactions. During the conversation, it does not even matter if the young people say that they are half Turkish and half Greek. The fact that they say they are Turks raises an uproar. This situation is really sad and crippling. However, it is not an issue or a situation that we are unfamiliar with. Because there is a denial of Turkish identity in Greece. We have been experiencing this for more than 40 years."

Ozan Ahmetoğlu said that although it is said that Greece respects and implements the right to personal identification, the incident revealed that even the exercise of personal rights of two young people in this direction is not tolerated. "It is said that there can be no social identification, there can be personal identification. However, in this incident, we see that the right to personal identification was taken away from these two young people." Ahmetoğlu emphasised that the incident was an extremely serious targeting and marginalisation.

Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Ozan Ahmetoğlu explained that the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the Turkish minority associations with the word "Turkish" in their names are not implemented by Greece. Ahmetoğlu also gave information on other issues concerning Western Thrace Turks.