FEP Party highlights January 29 as a milestone of resistance for the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace

The Friendship, Equality and Peace Party (FEP Party) has issued a statement marking January 29 – National Resistance and Social Solidarity Day, outlining the historical process that led to the events of January 29, 1988, and the subsequent violence of January 29, 1990.

In its statement, the FEP Party emphasized that January 29 represents a defining moment in the modern history of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, symbolizing collective resistance against systematic discrimination and the ongoing struggle for equal rights. Alongside the written statement, the party also released a commemorative video addressing the significance of the date.

A History of Systematic Pressure
According to the FEP Party, the January 29 process did not emerge spontaneously but was the result of long-standing and systematic pressures targeting the Turkish Minority across multiple aspects of daily life. These practices included:

• Arbitrary denial of construction permits for homes
• Discriminatory treatment in driving licenses and official procedures
• Expropriation of agricultural land
• Arbitrary revocation of citizenship
• The statement underlined that these policies were implemented over many years. The closure of minority associations solely because they contained the word “Turkish” in their name was described as the final trigger that led to mass public reaction.

January 29, 1988: A Collective Act of Resistance
On January 29, 1988, Western Thrace Turks from villages across the region — women and men, young and old — gathered in Komotini to say “Enough” to discrimination, the statement said.

Despite roadblocks and pressure, demonstrators marched peacefully through the streets, demanding equality, dignity, and recognition as equal citizens. The FEP Party described the demonstrations as a legitimate and democratic expression of the minority’s demand to live with its identity and rights respected.

January 29, 1990: Violence and Pogrom
Two years later, the determination displayed in 1988 was met with violence. The FEP Party recalled that on January 29, 1990, inflammatory and targeting media coverage created an environment in which far-right and extremist groups carried out coordinated attacks against the Turkish community.

According to the statement:

• Turkish-owned businesses were deliberately targeted
• Hundreds of shops were looted and destroyed
• Members of the community were physically attacked
• The party described these events as a pogrom, aimed at intimidating, silencing, and forcing the minority to abandon its demands.

Ongoing Challenges Despite Partial Progress
The FEP Party acknowledged that the resistance shown in 1988 contributed to the acquisition of certain basic citizenship rights. However, it stressed that serious problems persist in the realm of minority rights.

Among the unresolved issues highlighted were:

• Continued hostility toward Turkish ethnic identity
• Failure to implement European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings regarding associations with the word “Turkish” in their name
• Lack of autonomy in minority education
• Non-recognition of democratically elected Muftis
• Economic marginalization of the region
• “The problems have not disappeared,” the statement concluded. “They have merely changed form. And we are still resisting.”

The FEP Party closed its message by reaffirming its commitment to democratic struggle and by commemorating January 29 as a day of national resistance, dignity, and social solidarity.