Habip Oğlu holds talks with PACE members and Council of Europe officials in Strasbourg
ABTTF President Halit Habip Oğlu held meetings with members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and Council of Europe officials during a working visit to Strasbourg, raising the current issues and alleged rights violations concerning the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.
Habip Oğlu visited Strasbourg on September 29–30, 2026, on the sidelines of PACE’s Autumn Plenary Session. He was accompanied by Melek Kırmacı, Director of International Relations at the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
During the meetings, Habip Oğlu discussed the situation of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace and highlighted concerns over minority rights, including freedom of association.
PACE adopts Greece monitoring report
On September 29, PACE debated a periodic monitoring report on Greece’s obligations as a member of the Council of Europe, prepared by PACE members Laura Castel of Spain and Miapetra Kumpula-Natri of Finland.
The draft resolution accompanying the report was adopted by a majority vote. The document assesses Greece’s progress in complying with Council of Europe standards on democracy, human rights and the rule of law, while also identifying continuing challenges facing the country’s democratic institutions.
Among the concerns highlighted in the resolution are alleged corruption involving senior public officials, government interference in sensitive judicial investigations, legislation affecting the activities of civil society organizations working on migration and asylum, violence against migrants by internal security forces, and the reported use of Predator spyware against politicians and journalists.
The resolution also addresses Greece’s framework for protecting national minorities.
Western Thrace Turkish minority referenced
Paragraph 10 of the resolution notes that Greece has not ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) or the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM). It states that, as a result, Greece is subject to the Council of Europe’s general standards and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding the protection of national minorities.
The resolution specifically refers to the protection of the freedom of association of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace. It also expresses regret that the Greek authorities do not currently intend to ratify the two conventions.
The report further states in paragraph 40 that associations in Greece bearing names containing the word “Turkish” and representing members of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace have faced registration refusals or, in some cases, dissolution.
ABTTF says lobbying contributed to references in report
Commenting on the adoption of the resolution, ABTTF President Halit Habip Oğlu said the federation’s lobbying efforts before the PACE Monitoring Committee and meetings with the rapporteurs had contributed to the inclusion of references to Western Thrace Turks in the report.
Habip Oğlu described the explicit reference to associations containing the word “Turkish” and the adoption of the report by PACE as a positive development for the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.
