Turkish Minority Press being opressed by law in Greece
Western Thrace
Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:08 GMT
Continuing its rights violations against the Western Thrace Turks, Greece is exerting pressure through the judiciary to silence the Turkish Minority press, which unwittingly shout and criticize these injustices.The Western Thrace Turkish Minority has been...
Continuing its rights violations against the Western Thrace Turks, Greece is exerting pressure through the judiciary to silence the Turkish Minority press, which unwittingly shout and criticize these injustices.
The Western Thrace Turkish Minority has been struggling for years to solve the mufti problem that broke out in the 1980s. The Turkish Minority press in Western Thrace, doing its part in this struggle, sheds light on this issue by informing the society. With the 1913 Athens and Lausanne Treaties, Western Thrace Turks, who had the right to elect their muftis, demand the return of this right that was unlawfully taken away by arbitrary practices.
Criticizing the violation of the religious freedom of Western Thrace Turks guaranteed by international agreements and the unfair policies applied against their mufti, the lawsuit demanded 110 thousand euros in compensation from Millet Newspaper's Editor-in-Chief Cengiz Ömer yesterday (September 17, 2020).
In the case held at the Xanthi Civil Court of First Instance with 4 Judges, 110 thousand euros of compensation from journalist Cengiz Ömer, to whom the appointed (now retired) mufti Mehmet Emin Şinikoğlu, who was imposed by Greece on the Western Thrace Turkish Minority in violation of agreements and human rights The grounds of his request, his claims and the witnesses of the defendant were heard. The decision is expected to be announced in the coming days.
CRIMINAL CASE HAD RESULTED WITH 15 MONTHS OF IMPRISONMENT
Millet Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Cengiz Ömer and its editor-in-chief Feyzullah Hasankahya, who passed away this year, were sentenced to 20 months in prison before, and 15 months after appeal, in the criminal case previously filed by the same individuals for the same reason. The result of the case brought to the Supreme Court by Millet newspaper is being waited. The newspaper owners stated that they will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights unless the result changes.
The trial was to be held on February 6, 2020, at the Xanthi Civil Court of First Instance. However, due to the pandemic, the case has been postponed to this day. In the meantime, when the appointed mufti Cemali Meço, and Feyzullah Hasankahya, one of the defendants, died, the case was continued unilaterally by the formerly appointed mufti Mehmet Emin Şinikoğlu. Şinikoğlu now expects 110 thousand euro compensation from Millet Newspaper owner Cengiz Ömer.
THE MINORITY PRESS IS ACCUSED OF BEING ANTI-GREEK
It is alleged that in the articles of Millet, which is described as "offensive articles", the so-called muftis imposed by the state were slandered and insulted in this way, therefore Cengiz Ömer and Feyzullah HasanKâhya are the servants of the dark Turkish propaganda in (Western) Thrace.
WHAT ABOUT TSIPRAS WHO ADMITTED THE TRUTH ABOUT MUFTIS
Cengiz Ömer, the owner of Millet newspaper, made a statement regarding the issue. "Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras also admitted that the state-appointed muftis were not recognized by the minority in Western Thrace, and the wrong and unfair policy followed for years on this issue".
The Western Thrace Turkish Minority has been struggling for years to solve the mufti problem that broke out in the 1980s. The Turkish Minority press in Western Thrace, doing its part in this struggle, sheds light on this issue by informing the society. With the 1913 Athens and Lausanne Treaties, Western Thrace Turks, who had the right to elect their muftis, demand the return of this right that was unlawfully taken away by arbitrary practices.
Criticizing the violation of the religious freedom of Western Thrace Turks guaranteed by international agreements and the unfair policies applied against their mufti, the lawsuit demanded 110 thousand euros in compensation from Millet Newspaper's Editor-in-Chief Cengiz Ömer yesterday (September 17, 2020).
In the case held at the Xanthi Civil Court of First Instance with 4 Judges, 110 thousand euros of compensation from journalist Cengiz Ömer, to whom the appointed (now retired) mufti Mehmet Emin Şinikoğlu, who was imposed by Greece on the Western Thrace Turkish Minority in violation of agreements and human rights The grounds of his request, his claims and the witnesses of the defendant were heard. The decision is expected to be announced in the coming days.
CRIMINAL CASE HAD RESULTED WITH 15 MONTHS OF IMPRISONMENT
Millet Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Cengiz Ömer and its editor-in-chief Feyzullah Hasankahya, who passed away this year, were sentenced to 20 months in prison before, and 15 months after appeal, in the criminal case previously filed by the same individuals for the same reason. The result of the case brought to the Supreme Court by Millet newspaper is being waited. The newspaper owners stated that they will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights unless the result changes.
The trial was to be held on February 6, 2020, at the Xanthi Civil Court of First Instance. However, due to the pandemic, the case has been postponed to this day. In the meantime, when the appointed mufti Cemali Meço, and Feyzullah Hasankahya, one of the defendants, died, the case was continued unilaterally by the formerly appointed mufti Mehmet Emin Şinikoğlu. Şinikoğlu now expects 110 thousand euro compensation from Millet Newspaper owner Cengiz Ömer.
THE MINORITY PRESS IS ACCUSED OF BEING ANTI-GREEK
It is alleged that in the articles of Millet, which is described as "offensive articles", the so-called muftis imposed by the state were slandered and insulted in this way, therefore Cengiz Ömer and Feyzullah HasanKâhya are the servants of the dark Turkish propaganda in (Western) Thrace.
WHAT ABOUT TSIPRAS WHO ADMITTED THE TRUTH ABOUT MUFTIS
Cengiz Ömer, the owner of Millet newspaper, made a statement regarding the issue. "Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras also admitted that the state-appointed muftis were not recognized by the minority in Western Thrace, and the wrong and unfair policy followed for years on this issue".
