FEP Party leader Asafoğlu's message for the New School year
Wishing students, teachers, and parents a successful academic year, Asafoğlu addressed the recent decision by Greek authorities to bypass the school boards of two prestigious minority educational institutions, the Celal Bayar Minority High School in Komotini and the Muzaffer Salihoğlu Minority High School in Xanthi, and appoint new principals without consultation.
She stated:
“Dear Students! Respected Teachers and Esteemed Parents!
As of today, the school bells have rung, and children across our country have reunited with their beloved schools, teachers, and friends. As a mother and parent, I deeply feel and share the excitement of our children and their families on this first day. I sincerely wish a successful school year to all students, teachers, and parents in our country.
As you know, it was recently announced that four of our minority schools were permanently closed under the pretext of a lack of students. The families and children from these closed schools are understandably saddened. Like every member of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority, I am equally disappointed, hurt, and angry. The authorities, who have turned minority education into a tangled web of problems, are particularly adept at creating new issues. Just days before the start of the school year, the directors of our minority high schools in Xanthi and Komotini were replaced through an unconventional practice that sidelined our school boards. This act not only undermined our voice in our schools but also disregarded the school boards, chosen and empowered by the parents, by rendering them ineffective through bureaucratic means. This approach is not only a violation of the Lausanne Treaty and bilateral education agreements but also constitutes a breach of human rights. Simply put, it is an outright violation of our rights.
May the 2024-25 academic year be one in which the rights violations casting a dark shadow over minority education come to an end, where no more schools are closed, and existing problems are solved one by one.”
