OIC urges Greece to fully respect rights and freedoms of Western Thrace Turkish Community

This call was made during the 50th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on August 29-30, 2024.

According to a report published on Liberal.gr, the decision was adopted in a session attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The resolution urges Greece to take the necessary measures to protect the fundamental rights, freedoms, and identity of the Turkish community, as guaranteed by bilateral and international agreements.

The resolution specifically calls on Greece to officially recognize the muftis elected by the Turkish community in Xanthi and Komotini, to implement the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings regarding the community's civil society organizations, and to consult with the community to address the ongoing educational challenges they face.

Furthermore, the resolution requests the OIC Secretary-General to engage in dialogue and cooperation with the Greek government to improve the welfare of Muslims in Greece, particularly the Turkish communities in Western Thrace, Rhodes, Kos, and the Dodecanese Islands.

In response to this development, Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), expressed his approval: "With the support of our motherland Turkey, it is encouraging that the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers has called on Greece to fully respect the rights and freedoms of our Turkish community. This decision highlights that our issues are being heard on the international stage, and we are not alone. However, in our country, the media is again distorting the facts and presenting a misleading image of our situation. Just as Greece raises the issues and rights of the Greek minority in Albania within the European Union, Turkey is advocating for us on the international stage, particularly through the OIC."