Habipoğlu: 'Why has Greece been ignoring ECtHR judgements and ECtHR case law for years?

Habipoğlu reminded that Mitsotakis characterised the issue of Mayor Beleri of Himara between Albania and Greece as "respect for the rule of law" and asked the question "Why has our country been ignoring the ECtHR judgements and the case law of the ECtHR for years?".

In the statement made by ABTTF, the European Union (EU) - Western Balkans Summit held in Brussels, Belgium on 13 December was referred to and it was reminded that in the final declaration of the summit, the EU called on the countries in the Western Balkans to guarantee the rights and equal treatment of persons belonging to minorities.

"At the summit, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that the inauguration of Fredi Beleri, the elected mayor of Himara, belonging to the Greek minority living in Albania, and the right to a fair trial is not a bilateral issue between Greece and Albania, but a matter of respect for the rule of law. Emphasising that Greece has been and continues to be one of the pioneers of the accession perspective of the Western Balkans, Mitsotakis reiterated his desire for a solution to the problem."

ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu said: "Prime Minister Mitsotakis, once again ignoring the shortcomings of our country in respecting the rule of law and international conventions, uses high-pitched expressions and gives advice. Should he not then ask himself why our country, one of the oldest members of the EU and boasting at every opportunity that it is the cradle of democracy, has persistently not implemented the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights regarding our associations in the Bekir Usta and Others Case Group for more than 15 years? Why, despite all the warnings of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, has our country not complied with its obligations arising from the European Convention on Human Rights to which it is a party, and has been disregarding the judgements of the ECtHR and the case law of the ECtHR for years? Respect for the rule of law and minority rights is universal and applies not only to EU candidate countries but also to our country as one of the 27 current members of the EU. If our country wants to be consistent in its discourse and practices and set an example for others, it should first look at itself and urgently correct its own bad record in respecting the rule of law."