Education problems of the minority discussed at a panel in Brussels

The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) organised a panel discussion on the occasion of the European Day of Languages on Tuesday 26 September at its Brussels office. The panel titled "Minority Languages as Part of the European Language and Cultural Environment: The Role of Minority NGOs in Safeguarding Diversity in Europe" was attended by Deniz Servantie from ABTTF Brussels Representation.

The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) organised a panel discussion on the occasion of the European Day of Languages on Tuesday 26 September at its Brussels office. The panel titled "Minority Languages as Part of the European Language and Cultural Environment: The Role of Minority NGOs in Safeguarding Diversity in Europe" was attended by Deniz Servantie from ABTTF Brussels Representation.

During the panel discussion moderated by FUEN Vice President Olivia Schubert, the welcoming speech was delivered by Loránt Vincze, FUEN President and Co-Chair of the European Parliament (EP) Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages. Then Prof. Dr Paul Videsott from the Free University of Bolzano presented a report comparing citizenship statistics and minority protection measures in different countries.

The panel was composed of Dr Fernand de Varennes, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Kinga Gál (Independent, Hungary) and François Alfonsi (Greens/EFA, France). Dr Fernand de Varennes, Co-Chairs of the EP Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages Kinga Gál (Independent, Hungary) and François Alfonsi (Greens/EFA, France), Michael Teutsch, Head of Unit for Youth, Education and Erasmus+ Schools and Multilingualism (EAC) at the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture of the European Union (EU) Commission, and Anna Jungner-Nordgren, Vice President of the Network for the Promotion of Linguistic Diversity (NPLD).

Speaking at the panel, MEP François Alfonsi pointed out that education and therefore schools play a key role for the existence of minority languages and made direct reference to the current educational problems of the Turkish community in Western Thrace which were conveyed to him by the ABTTF delegation he met in his office at the EP before the panel. Alfonsi pointed out that in many countries, such as in Western Thrace in Greece, schools belonging to minorities have been closed down and therefore the use of minority languages is under threat and noted that they have submitted written questions to the EU Commission on the issue but the EU Commission has always responded that the current issue is not within its competence.

During his meeting with MEP Alfonsi on Tuesday morning, 26 September, ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu informed him about the rapid decrease in the number of Turkish primary schools in Western Thrace over the years, which were closed down by ministerial decision in violation of the educational autonomy of the Turkish community in Western Thrace, and the action initiated on 18 September by students and parents against the imposition of shift education in Xanthi Turkish Minority Secondary School and High School.