FEP Party: “Western Thrace Turks’ mother tongue and identity are not open to debate”
The Friendship, Equality and Peace Party (FEP) has made a strong statement on International Mother Language Day, asserting that the mother tongue and identity of the Western Thrace Turks community are not subjects for negotiation.
In a video message released on social media in Turkish, Greek and English, the party highlighted ongoing challenges faced by the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, including longstanding questions and pressures regarding their cultural identity and language rights.
Language and Identity: Non-Negotiable Rights
FEP emphasized that the community’s identity has frequently been questioned, while its native language — Turkish — is often overlooked or marginalized in public discourse. The party described Turkish as fundamental to the community’s self-perception and cultural memory, and insisted that language preservation is integral to securing the future of Western Thrace Turks.
“Our identity is distorted by those who ignore our language. We think in Turkish and we speak in Turkish. Our identity and language are not open to debate,” the message declared.
Calls for Expanded Mother-Tongue Education
FEP also raised concerns about the lack of sufficient mother-tongue educational opportunities for the Turkish minority in Greece. While the party recognized mother-tongue education as a basic citizenship right that supports cultural diversity, it underscored that educational gaps still persist for the community.
The declaration comes amid broader discussions in the region around linguistic rights and educational equality, including renewed demands by Western Thrace Turks for bilingual Turkish-Greek preschool and schooling options as part of fundamental human rights protections.
International Mother Language Day, observed worldwide on February 21, aims to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism — themes that FEP’s message directly echoed.
