Problems of the Turkish minority addressed at the OSCE Human Dimension Conference
The problems of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace were expressed at the 2023 OSCE Human Dimension Conference.
Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA) and Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) participated in the conference held in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, between 2 - 13 October. WTMUGA was represented by Human Rights Expert Kerem Abdurahimoğlu and ABTTF was represented by Melek Kırmacı, International Relations Director. On 3 October Tuesday, in the first session of the conference titled "Democratic Institutions", WTMUGA took the floor and stated that the 3% election threshold applied to political parties in Greece is also applied to independent parliamentary candidates, this is done to prevent the minority from electing independent parliamentary candidates and this fact is admitted by Greek politicians. It also stated that the Turkish minority was subjected to threats due to its democratic choice in the 2023 May-June elections and expressed that such practices are incompatible with democracy.
Taking the floor again in the second session of the conference titled "Fundamental Rights" on Wednesday, 4 October, WTMUGA stated that the younger generation of the Turkish minority inherited many violations of human and minority rights in Western Thrace, that in 2023 approximately 600 students are still forced to study in an old tobacco warehouse in Xanthi Minority Secondary School and High School, that Turkish-Greek bilingual minority kindergartens are not allowed, that many minority primary schools are closed down by the Greek administration every year, that the minority cannot express its Turkish ethnic identity in a collective way. It was stated that the younger generation is determined to solve the problems through dialogue and mutual understanding and that when these problems are voiced by human rights defenders and Turkish minority representatives, they are subjected to criminal and financial investigations by the Greek administration and demonisation and targeting by the local and mainstream Greek media. He reminded that the Turkish minority are Greek citizens who pay their taxes and fulfil all their responsibilities towards the country and the only demand of the minority is their rights guaranteed by international treaties and the Greek Constitution.
On 5 October Thursday, in the third session of the conference titled "Tolerance and Prevention of Discrimination", WTMUGA took the floor again. Reminding that the Turkish minority of Western Thrace was subjected to segregation policies for years and that there were periods when it was not possible for the minority to acquire property, to engage in economic activities and even to obtain a driving licence, he said that these restrictions were lifted in the 90s without any retrospective regulation. It was stated that the years of socio-economic isolation of the minority had certain legal and economic consequences, which prevented the Turkish minority from benefiting from many EU Funds even today.
It was said that even today, with a simple stroll through the villages of Western Thrace, one can observe the sharp difference in infrastructure and development between Turkish and Greek settlements. He also stated that it is not meaningful to talk about the existence of tolerance in a place where Greece makes Mufti appointments despite the minority's objections, does not allow Mufti elections in accordance with the Treaties of Athens in 1913 and Lausanne in 1923, and where the religious leaders recognised by the minority are called "pseutomuftis". He emphasised that the word "except" in the words "Thank God there is no loss of life except 22 asylum seekers in Dadia forest" uttered on Greek television is actually a reflection of the understanding of "created other" in Greece.
On Friday 6 October, in the fourth session titled "Fundamental Rights II", WTMUGA took the floor again and reminded that the 1923 Lausanne Peace Treaty granted equal citizenship and minority rights to the Turkish minority and that the Greek Constitution guarantees freedom of association and assembly to its citizens.
In the light of these facts, he said that Greece does not implement the ECtHR judgements on Turkish associations and that a closure case was filed against Fenerbahçe Fans Association, a sports and fan association, on the grounds that the definition of "Western Thrace" in its name and the members of the association are "autonomists/separatists".
