Main agenda of 25 June elections: TURKISH MINORITY OF WESTERN THRACE
In the elections held on 21 May Sunday, no party came to power alone. Although it could not form a government on its own, New Democracy, which had a 20 per cent lead over the main opposition SYRIZA, refused to form a coalition. When the opposition parties also refused to form a coalition, 25 June was set as the new election date.
After winning the 21 May elections with an overwhelming majority, ND suffered the only defeat in the province of Rodopi. While the whole country was painted blue, the ND's colour, the province of Rhodope was the subject of interest with its pink colour on the election map.
Dimitris Haritou, who was elected as an MP in the 2019 general elections with 410 votes ahead of Özgür Ferhat, lost his seat in the elections of 21 May 2023. With an overwhelming margin, Özgür Ferhat became the MP with the highest number of votes (12.650 votes) in the province of Rodopi and SYRIZA came first in the voting ranking in the province of Rodopi, unlike the country as a whole.
After the 21 May elections, the main topic of the election debates was the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.
Here are the important highlights of the 25 June elections for the Western Thrace Turks:
POST BY ELENI LAFTSI
The picture in question first caused disturbance around Haritu in the Rhodope province. Eleni Laftsi, who is also Haritou's wife and supported by SYRIZA as a candidate for the mayor of Komotini, posted the following on her social media account: "Congratulations to the Turkish Consulate for once again managing to intervene in political affairs in Rodopi! I also congratulate those who contributed to the election of the so-called left crutch of the Erdogan state as an MP in Rhodope. I also congratulate those who tried to publicise this Turkish intervention as a victory for the left. I am sorry but this sponsored election is neither leftist nor progressive. It is just a crude and nasty intervention!"
KYRIAKOS MITSOTAKIS
A few days after this statement, the leader of the New Democracy Party, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who handed over the post of prime minister to the prime minister of the election government, started a debate that will last for days with his statements to the "Proto Thema" newspaper (Saturday 3 June).
Claiming that the Consulate General of Türkiye in Komotini had intervened in favour of Ferhat Özgür, the SYRIZA parliamentary candidate in Rodopi, Mitsotakis accused SYRIZA with the words: "It is a matter that should primarily concern the party that elected it, as it is a partner in the interference of another state in the internal affairs of Greece."
The allegations that Mitsotakis, who was the prime minister until a few days ago, was warned by the SYRIZA party about two candidates (Özgür Ferhat and Hüseyin Zeybek) and that Tsipras was advised not to include these people in his lists drew attention.
REACTION FROM SYRIZA
The reaction of SYRIZA to the statements of Mitsotakis was not delayed. It was stated in the statement that ND and Kyriakos Mitsotakis resorted to a dangerous game of targeting and dividing the citizens of Greece because they could not accept any other colour in the electoral map, and it was emphasized that the democratic votes of the Muslim minority were underestimated.
"Treating Greek Muslims in Rhodope as agents of a foreign power and questioning their democratic will is a dangerous practice," the statement emphasised. "This attitude is contrary to the principle of equality before the law and is a national risk."
DORA BAKOYANNI
The discussions flared up with the visit of Dora Bakoyanni, one of the ND's staff and the President of the Thrace Development Commission, to the Rhodope province on Friday, 9 June.
Bakoyanni, who visited the mountain villages in the Rhodope province and asked for support for the ND, said "If you do not support us, things will be more difficult".
In her speech in Hacıören village, Bakoyanni said that she was disappointed that the people of the region supported SYRIZA and added: "I expect support from you. If you do not support me, I cannot support you tomorrow. Not everyone in Athens loves the minority like me. I am here to give this message. We expect support. If you do not support us, things will be more difficult."
TSIPRAS: "THIS IS MAFIA LOGIC"
Then SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, on the other hand, responded to Bakoyanni's words during his visit to the Rhodope province by saying, "Bakoyanni threatened people. This is the logic of the mafia."
Tsipras also conveyed his concerns about the discussions on the minority to the Prime Minister of the election government Yannis Sarmas (Monday 12 June).
PEARLS FROM BAKOYANNIS
Bakoyanni, who drew reactions with his speech to the minority voters during his visit to the province of Rodopi, this time in the programme "Studio Me Thea" on ANT1 television channel, said: "It is a tradition in Thrace for the parties to agree on the parliamentary candidates to be included in their lists. At the same time, it is also a tradition to have common policies in Thrace on issues concerning foreign policy."
ADVISORY BOARD "THEY DO NOT RESPECT THE WILL AND PREFERENCES OF THE TURKISH MINORITY"
The Advisory Board of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace reacted to the statements of the President of the New Democracy Party Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Dora Bakoyanni, one of the party's staff, against the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.
"We have seen that they do not have the slightest respect for the free will and preferences of the members of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace", said the Advisory Board and pointed out that "threatening discourses offend the minority and evoke the dark days the minority experienced in the past".
The Advisory Board emphasised that the YDP should look for the cause of the election result in its policies.
NIKOS ANDRULAKIS
PASOK leader Nikos Andrulakis joined the discussions centred on the Turkish Minority in Western Thrace and asked the leaders of SYRIZA to explain how they tolerate their members who talk about the Turkish minority in Thrace.
İLHAN AHMET: "I HAVE NEVER CALLED THE MINORITY TURKISH"
While the pressure on Siriza MPs Özgür Ferhat and Hüseyin Zeybek to declare that the minority is a religious minority continues, Rodopi PASOK MP İlhan Ahmet said in a programme on Skai TV that he never defined the minority as a Turkish minority.
MITSOTAKIS: "I ALSO SEND A MESSAGE TO ERDOGAN"
ND leader Mitsotakis said at the pre-election press conference that he will open the minority issue to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan whom he will meet in Vilnius and added: "I am not only sending a message to SYRIZA. I am also sending a message to Erdoğan that we will not accept foreign intervention on minority issues."
MUSTAFA KATRANCI WITHDREW FROM CANDIDACY
The statements made by Tsipras that ND's Rodopi MP candidate Mustafa Katranci also used the expression "Turkish Minority" were followed by Katranci's announcement on his social media account that he withdrew from the candidacy.
Commenting on Katrancı's withdrawal from the candidacy with the words "This is the difference between us and SYRIZA", ND Spokesperson Akis Skertsos said that the two candidates of SYRIZA should now explain what and whom they represent.
According to the information received from ND sources, Rodopi deputy candidate Mustafa Katranci responded to the call for resignation after his meeting with the party's secretary Pavlos Marinakis and announced his decision to withdraw from the candidacy.
GÜNDEM
