PASOK condemns Türkiye – Rights advocate Dimitras reminds them of Western Thrace Turks
PASOK – Movement for Change has criticized Türkiye over the entry ban imposed on a prominent figure of the Pontic community in Greece, but the party’s stance drew a sharp response from a human rights advocate.
PASOK Deputy Spokesperson Olga Markoyiannaki announced on social media that Haralambos (Babis) Kapourtides, former president of the Veria Black Sea Club and a member of the Pan-Pontian Federation of Greece, had been denied entry into Türkiye.
According to Markoyiannaki, Turkish authorities declared Kapourtides persona non grata on grounds of “public security.” She described the move as “yet another unacceptable exclusion of Pontians, which offends Pontic Hellenism and democratic conscience. The state must stand by its citizens and demand respect for human rights and historical memory.”
Dimitras’ Reaction: “What About Western Thrace Turks?”
The statement, however, drew criticism from Panayote Dimitras, spokesperson of the human rights organization Greek Helsinki Monitor. Responding on social media, Dimitras remarked:
“It would have been more sincere if you had also condemned Greece’s own entry bans imposed on Western Thrace Turks involved in similar associations in Türkiye.”
