Halit Habipoğlu holds meetings in North Macedonia and Kosovo
Halit Habipoğlu, spokesperson of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) Working Group of Turkic Minorities/Communities (TAG) and President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), paid a working visit to North Macedonia and Kosovo on August 21–22, 2025. He was accompanied by Melek Kırmacı from the FUEN TAG Secretariat.
Meetings in North Macedonia
In Skopje, Habipoğlu met with representatives of the Turkish community, including MP Dr. Beycan İlyas, Democratic Party of Turks (TDP) Chairman Zülfikar Zeynulah, Turkish National Unity Movement (TMBH) Chairman Erdoğan Saraç, and MATÜSİTEB President Tahsin İbrahim. He also visited the Köprü Education and Culture Association and paid a courtesy call to Turkish Ambassador Fatih Ulusoy.
During the discussions, Habipoğlu presented FUEN’s structure, noting that it represents 118 member organizations from 38 European countries. He highlighted TAG’s role since 2013 in uniting Turkic minorities across a wide geography from the Balkans to the Caucasus. He also recalled that the 11th annual TAG meeting was hosted by Bulgaria’s Turkish community earlier this year in Varna.
The FUEN TAG delegation was briefed on the history, organization, current situation, and challenges of the Turkish community in North Macedonia, one of the country’s founding peoples.
Meetings in Kosovo
On August 22, Habipoğlu traveled to Kosovo, where the visit was hosted by FUEN member organization Kosova Genç Birlik Derneği (KGBD). In Prizren and Mamuša, he met with Turkish representatives, including Regional Development Minister and KDTP Chairman Fikrim Damka, MP Fidan Brina Jılta, Mamuša Mayor Abdülhadi Krasniç, and Prizren Deputy Municipal Assembly President Levent Buş. He also visited the Doğru Yol Turkish Cultural and Arts Association and the Kosovo Turkish Teachers’ Association (KTÖD).
As in Skopje, Habipoğlu presented FUEN and TAG’s activities, emphasizing the importance of bringing together Turkic minority organizations through annual meetings.
The FUEN TAG delegation received detailed information on the history, organizational structure, current situation, and challenges of the Turkish community in Kosovo, also recognized as one of the country’s constituent peoples.
