"Greece denies the existence of Western Thrace Turks living in these lands for centuries"
Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) President Halit Habip Oğlu stated that "our country Greece denies the existence and identity of Western Thrace Turks who have been living in these lands for centuries".
The following statements were made in the press release issued by ABTTF
"Happy World Human Rights Day!
Two years after the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948, it declared 10 December as World Human Rights Day with a resolution adopted in 1950. Worldwide, 10 December is celebrated every year as World Human Rights Day with various activities.
The theme of this year's World Human Rights Day, which marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone in the global protection of fundamental human rights, is "Freedom, Equality and Justice for All". 2023 World Human Rights Day, which will be celebrated with various activities and campaigns all over the world within the framework of the theme, aims to increase knowledge about the universality and indivisibility of human rights, especially among young people, and to empower people to fight for their rights and take responsibility.
In its statement, the UN underlined that for 75 years, the main purpose of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been to instil equality, fundamental freedoms and justice in societies, noting that the Declaration protects the rights of all people, is a global blueprint for international, national and local laws and policies, and forms the basis of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights points the way towards shared values and approaches that can help resolve tensions and create the security and stability our world craves.
Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) President Halit Habip Oğlu said: "As ABTTF, we sincerely celebrate the International Human Rights Day of all people. On the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, our country Greece, which boasts of being the cradle of democracy and a former member of the European Union, denies the existence and identity of Western Thrace Turks who have been living in these lands for centuries. Despite the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights against it, our country does not restore the legal personality of our associations and persistently rejects their official registration requests. Our representatives who defend the rights of our community completely peacefully and in accordance with the law are targeted in politics and mainstream media. Our primary schools with autonomous status are being closed down, our requests for the establishment of a bilingual Turkish minority kindergarten in Western Thrace are constantly ignored by the authorities, although kindergarten education is compulsory in our country. We hope that the recent positive agenda in the bilateral relations between our country and our motherland will be reflected in the solution of the problems of our community and we ask our country to respect our rights arising from bilateral and international treaties. Minority rights are human rights!"
