The failure of Greece to implement the ECtHR decisions discussed at "Facts About Our Country"
Western Thrace
Fri, 25 Mar 2022 16:33 GMT
The seventh episode of the European Western Thrace Turkish Federation's (ABTTF) online program series titled "Facts About Our Country" was broadcast on March 24, 2022.The guest of the seventh program was Bekir Usta and Others Lawyer Group Lawyer Ahmet Kar...
The seventh episode of the European Western Thrace Turkish Federation's (ABTTF) online program series titled "Facts About Our Country" was broadcast on March 24, 2022.
The guest of the seventh program was Bekir Usta and Others Lawyer Group Lawyer Ahmet Kara, which includes the Western Thrace Turkish society's associations Xanthi Turkish Union, the Rhodope Province Turkish Women's Cultural Association, and the Meriç (Evros) Province Minority Youth Association.
Kara answered the questions of Nihan Ayan from the Athens Office of the ABTTF, the moderator of the program, about the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings regarding Bekir Usta and Others Case Group, not being implemented by Greece for 14 years.
Kara stated that Xanthi Turkish Union, the first association of Western Thrace Turkish society, which was founded on April 14, 1927 and will celebrate its 95th anniversary this year, has been operating smoothly until 1983. He noted that he was fighting and that Greece did not implement the 2008 ECHR decision against the association.
Noting that, following the amendments made to the Civil Procedure Code in Greece in 2017, which made it possible to hear the cases again, Kara noted that three associations filed an appeal before the national courts for the implementation of the ECtHR decisions. He said that he rejected the request for the return of his personality in violation of the ECtHR decision, and that he thought that the Court of Cassation made a political decision, not a legal one.
Kara stated that a march was organized in order to protest the decision of the Supreme Court of Cassation, which ignored the ECtHR decisions by obtaining permission from the official authorities in July 2021, and that seven months later, the president of Xanthi Turkish Union and religious leaders of the Western Thrace Turkish community included the protest march. He stated that an investigation has been launched against the leading names and these names have been summoned to testify. Kara added that Xanthi Turkish Union President Ozan Ahmetoğlu gave a statement on the grounds of spreading false news and threatening public order in accordance with the provisions of the penal code and that the investigation continues.
Noting that the appeal applications of the Rhodope Province Turkish Women Cultural Association and Meriç Province Minority Youth Association were discussed at the Court of Cassation in October 2021 and they expect the decision to be announced in June 2022, however, after the negative decision of the Court of Cassation regarding Xanthi Turkish Union, there were no questions regarding these two associations. He stated that he did not think that he would make a positive decision.
Stating that they expected and hoped that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe would initiate the violation procedure against Greece, which did not persistently implement the ECtHR decisions regarding the Bekir Usta and Others Case Group, Kara noted that the members of the three associations in the case group wanted to be treated as equal citizens of the country.
You can watch the entire program, which is broadcast live simultaneously on ABTTF's YouTube channel and Facebook page, in English and Greek by clicking the links below:
YouTube English stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VQDP_BPXrM&t=31s
YouTube in Greek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TucGcA0ygTw
Facebook English post: https://www.facebook.com/939989616164959/videos/675528443660579
Facebook Greek feed: https://www.facebook.com/939989616164959/videos/988424712112737
The guest of the seventh program was Bekir Usta and Others Lawyer Group Lawyer Ahmet Kara, which includes the Western Thrace Turkish society's associations Xanthi Turkish Union, the Rhodope Province Turkish Women's Cultural Association, and the Meriç (Evros) Province Minority Youth Association.
Kara answered the questions of Nihan Ayan from the Athens Office of the ABTTF, the moderator of the program, about the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings regarding Bekir Usta and Others Case Group, not being implemented by Greece for 14 years.
Kara stated that Xanthi Turkish Union, the first association of Western Thrace Turkish society, which was founded on April 14, 1927 and will celebrate its 95th anniversary this year, has been operating smoothly until 1983. He noted that he was fighting and that Greece did not implement the 2008 ECHR decision against the association.
Noting that, following the amendments made to the Civil Procedure Code in Greece in 2017, which made it possible to hear the cases again, Kara noted that three associations filed an appeal before the national courts for the implementation of the ECtHR decisions. He said that he rejected the request for the return of his personality in violation of the ECtHR decision, and that he thought that the Court of Cassation made a political decision, not a legal one.
Kara stated that a march was organized in order to protest the decision of the Supreme Court of Cassation, which ignored the ECtHR decisions by obtaining permission from the official authorities in July 2021, and that seven months later, the president of Xanthi Turkish Union and religious leaders of the Western Thrace Turkish community included the protest march. He stated that an investigation has been launched against the leading names and these names have been summoned to testify. Kara added that Xanthi Turkish Union President Ozan Ahmetoğlu gave a statement on the grounds of spreading false news and threatening public order in accordance with the provisions of the penal code and that the investigation continues.
Noting that the appeal applications of the Rhodope Province Turkish Women Cultural Association and Meriç Province Minority Youth Association were discussed at the Court of Cassation in October 2021 and they expect the decision to be announced in June 2022, however, after the negative decision of the Court of Cassation regarding Xanthi Turkish Union, there were no questions regarding these two associations. He stated that he did not think that he would make a positive decision.
Stating that they expected and hoped that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe would initiate the violation procedure against Greece, which did not persistently implement the ECtHR decisions regarding the Bekir Usta and Others Case Group, Kara noted that the members of the three associations in the case group wanted to be treated as equal citizens of the country.
You can watch the entire program, which is broadcast live simultaneously on ABTTF's YouTube channel and Facebook page, in English and Greek by clicking the links below:
YouTube English stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VQDP_BPXrM&t=31s
YouTube in Greek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TucGcA0ygTw
Facebook English post: https://www.facebook.com/939989616164959/videos/675528443660579
Facebook Greek feed: https://www.facebook.com/939989616164959/videos/988424712112737
