Hüseyin Baltacı: 'We are the richness of the region, we do not accept being labelled as dangerous'

Hüseyin Baltacı, one of the candidates of the FEP Party for the European Parliament, spoke to Radio Kythera. Stating that the party was founded by Dr Sadık Ahmet in the early 1990s, Baltacı gave information about the party.
Stating that the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace wants to be recognised by the state as it defines itself, Baltacı said: "We want to be accepted as we express ourselves, that is, as a Turkish minority. The state's view on this issue is different. However, we do not want the state to bury its head in the sand in the face of the facts. We want them to see us as a richness of the region. We do not accept to be demonised and portrayed in a different way, in a bad way, as a threat to the security of the country."
Stating that there are huge problems and deficiencies in the field of minority education, Baltacı said: "This is not a political problem. In my opinion, it is a humanitarian problem. If we express only one issue, what I mean will be understood. We have been asking for a school building for years, but no results have been obtained. Is it possible to accept this? Apart from this, many other problems are waiting for a solution."
On Sunday 9 June, Hüseyin Baltacı, one of the candidates of the FEP Party for the EP parliamentary elections, in an interview with Radio Kythera, also touched upon the economic crisis and the problem of migration in the region.
Regarding the muftiate problem, Hüseyin Baltacı said: "As the minority community, we want to elect our own mufti. We do not want the Mufti to be appointed by appointment."
Baltacı also emphasised the issue of Xanthi Turkish Union and said: "We are waiting for the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, which have not been implemented for 16 years, to be implemented. This problem should not continue any longer."
Answering the question "What kind of Europe do you want and defend?", Baltacı said: "We want a people-centred Europe where the weak, immigrants, everyone can benefit from democracy regardless of race and origin."
Answering the question about Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' visit to Ankara and his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Baltaci said: "We are very pleased with these meetings and this dialogue. You cannot imagine how happy we are when we see this. We want and hope that positive relations will be reflected on us. We expect the talks to continue and be further enriched."