Greece’s pressure on the Turkish minority!
Despite the Lausanne and subsequent agreements, Greece has been violating the rights of the Turkish minority for years.
The Treaty of Lausanne guarantees the rights of minorities in Turkey and Greece.
According to the news in TRTHABER, Greece, which armed the islands with non-military status in violation of international agreements, is also using this lawless attitude against the Turkish minority.
Expressions in the form like “Greece puts pressure on the Turkish minority whose rights are guaranteed by the agreements.” were included.
“It is forbidden to use the Turkish word
The identity problem of the Turkish minority in Greece has remained a bleeding wound for decades.
The use of the word 'Turk' was banned by court decision in 1984. Associations with the Turkish name in their title were banned and their signs were taken down.
Members of the Turkish minority brought the issue of freedom of association to the court. When they could not get any results from the Greek courts, an application was made to the European Court of Human Rights.
Despite the ECtHR's decisions against Athens on freedom of association, Greece has not implemented the ECHR decisions for 14 years.
Greece does not recognize the law
According to the Treaty of Lausanne; The Turkish minority has the right to establish, manage and control their own schools. However, Athens significantly undermined the autonomous status of schools through numerous legal regulations and ministerial decisions.
Although minority schools have a bilingual curriculum, the ratio of hours per subject and language has increased over the years in favor of Greek instruction.
For years, Greece has not responded to the Turkish minority's demand for bilingual kindergartens.
With the ministerial decision in 2010, Athens paved the way for the merging of schools with low student enrolment.
Since the arbitrary decision in 2011 came into force, dozens of minority schools have been closed.
Greece does not recognize elected Muftis
Athens also prevents the Turkish minority from practicing their religion freely with unbelievable practices.
Greece does not recognize the Muftis elected by the Western Thrace Turkish Minority and appoints another mufti instead.
On the other hand, when the Elected Muftis perform their duties, the government sue them and drag them to the courts.
The Elected Mufti of Xanthi Ahmet Mete stated that the assimilation efforts of Greece will never end and that Greece wants to destroy the minority.
The elected Mufti Ahmet Mete speaking to TRTHABER said that the police stopped him on the way and said, "Watch what you're talking about, if anything happens to you, it will come from your own mouth."
Tens of thousands of people became "stateless"
Under Article 19 of the Greek Citizenship Law of 1955, "those of non-Greek origin who left the country with no intention of returning" could be stripped of their citizenship. The Greek administrations used this article 19 as an element of pressure against the Turkish minority.
With arbitrary and absentee practices, almost 60 thousand people, mostly Western Thrace Turks, were stripped of their citizenship. They were victimized by the status of "stateless".
Athens' eyes on foundations
The administrative autonomy of the Turkish minority regarding their own foundations and administration of foundation properties is also ignored by Athens.
Minorities are excluded from the process in the management of foundations.
Despite the fiscal exemption, it expropriates the foundation's properties and takes them away from the minority, with excessive taxes and tax penalties.
Cultural genocide is practiced
Greece is committing cultural genocide. The Greek state does this not only in Western Thrace, but also in the islands of Rhodes and Kos, where the Turkish minority lives.
It changes the name of the architectural works left by the Ottoman Turks on these islands. It also sells immovable properties belonging to Turkish foundations through auctions.
While tax is not applied to Greek-Orthodox foundations, Turkish Muslim foundations are subject to tax.”
Source: TRTHABER
