Habipoğlu highlights hate speech targeting Western Thrace Turkish Community
Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), emphasized that the leaders, human rights defenders, and organizations representing Western Thrace Turks have long been subjected to continuous hate speech and unfounded accusations.
In her inquiry, Meleti highlighted the increasing trend of hate speech, stressing that this phenomenon contradicts European culture, education principles, and EU values. She condemned the growing number of racist, sexist, and harassing verbal assaults online, which affect people regardless of age, gender, or other characteristics. Meleti urged the European Commission to take immediate action to combat these issues and to protect victims and their mental well-being from such attacks.
In response, ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu remarked: “It is significant that an MEP from the ruling party in Greece is bringing attention to the rise of hate speech on social media. This issue not only affects social media but also persists in traditional media, where vulnerable groups, including national minorities within the EU, are frequently targeted. In our country, prominent representatives of our community, human rights advocates, and organizations have been subjected to hate speech and baseless accusations for years. Recently, our MP from Xanthi, Hüseyin Zeybek, was openly threatened with death on live television. The European Commission must consider the racist and discriminatory hate speech directed at our community in Greece as it takes action.”
