Greece has not implemented the ECtHR's "Xanthi Turkish Union" judgement for 16 years
Xanthi Turkish Union (ITB) issued a statement on the 16th anniversary of the ECtHR judgement.
On 27 March 2008, the ECtHR announced its judgement on the Xanthi Turkish Union and the Cultural Association of Turkish Women of the Prefecture of Rodopi and unanimously found the two Turkish minority organisations in the right and condemned Greece.
Xanthi Turkish Union issued a statement on the 16th anniversary of the ECtHR judgement. In the statement, it was emphasised that the ECtHR judgement has not been implemented for 16 years. "The implementation of the ECtHR judgements should not be kept waiting any longer", the statement said and added: "In response to the call of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for Greece to take concrete steps for the implementation of the ECtHR judgements concerning the associations of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, we consider Greece's intention to establish a commission of experts as an extremely insufficient step. We hope that this is not a new step to buy time."
The statement made by the Xanthi Turkish Union is as follows:
"Today is the 16th anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights' (ECtHR) judgement on the Xanthi Turkish Union case, which was a turning point in the legal and democratic struggle of the Turkish Union of Xanthi.
Sixteen years ago today, on 27 March 2008, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) announced its decision on the case of the Turkish Union of Xanthi and unanimously found the Turkish Union of Xanthi right. Exactly 16 years have passed since that judgement. The judgements concerning the Turkish Union of Xanthi and the Turkish minority associations known as the "Bekirusta Group of Cases" at the ECtHR have not been implemented by Greece for 16 years since that day.
It has been exactly 16 years since the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, in which the closure decision issued by the Greek courts against our association due to the word 'Turkish' in its name and the cancellation of the legal status and legal personality of our association were found unjust and condemned. As Xanthi Turkish Union and the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, we expect the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights regarding Turkish minority associations to be implemented.
On 27 March 2008, 16 years ago today, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) announced its judgment on the cases of the Turkish Union of Xanthi and the Cultural Association of Turkish Women of the Province of Rodopi, which were included in the "Bekirusta Group of Cases", and unanimously found the minority associations right and condemned Greece for these decisions.
However, the ECtHR judgement has not been implemented by Greece since 2008 and the legal status of the Xanthi Turkish Union has not been restored. Therefore, discrimination and unlawfulness against the Western Thrace Muslim Turkish Minority continues."
"WE HOPE THIS IS NOT ANOTHER STEP TO BUY TIME"
In the XTU statement, it was reminded that Greece has revealed its intention to establish a commission of experts against the calls for the implementation of the ECtHR judgements and said: "We hope that this is not a new step to buy time".
The statement continued as follows: "As the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, we expect the Greek state, of which we have been citizens for 16 years, to respect international law and to fully and completely implement the ECtHR judgements.
We would like to remind once again the calls made by the Council of Europe to Greece for the implementation of the ECtHR judgements. In this framework, we consider it as an extremely insufficient step that Greece has stated its intention to establish a commission of experts in response to the call of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for Greece to take concrete steps for the implementation of the ECtHR judgements concerning the Western Thrace Turkish Minority associations. We hope that this is not another step to buy time. Instead of establishing a commission after 16 years for the implementation of the ECtHR judgements, the necessary will for the full and complete implementation of the ECtHR judgements should be put forward by fulfilling the obligations arising from international law.
The implementation of the ECtHR judgements should not be kept waiting any longer. 16 years of non-implementation of the ECtHR judgments, which are closely related to the Turkish Union of Xanthi and the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, is essential for democracy, justice and social peace in our region. In this context, taking into account the recent criticisms of international institutions regarding the rule of law in Greece, the implementation of the ECtHR judgements must be implemented immediately.
We expect and demand that Greece, our country of citizenship, take into account the calls of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and other human rights organisations and implement the ECtHR judgments that have not been implemented for 16 years."
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TURKISH UNION OF ISKEÇE
