Turkish MP accuses Greece of failing to implement ECHR rulings on Western Thrace rights
AK Party Istanbul MP Sena Nur Çelik Kanat has accused Greece of continuing to violate the rights of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, calling on European institutions to take concrete action over the country's failure to implement judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Speaking during a session on Greece at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) autumn plenary session, Çelik Kanat criticised what she described as a double standard in the European response to violations of ECHR judgments.
She called on European institutions to ensure that Greece complies with its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and implements judgments that have remained unresolved for years.
BEKIR-OUSTA CASES AT THE CENTRE OF CRITICISM
A central issue raised by Çelik Kanat was the Bekir-Ousta group of cases, concerning restrictions on the ability of members of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace to establish associations using their chosen identity.
The leading Bekir-Ousta judgment was delivered by the ECHR in 2007, with the Court finding a violation of freedom of association. The judgment became final in January 2008. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has subsequently supervised the implementation of the Bekir-Ousta, Emin and Tourkiki Enosi Xanthis cases.
Çelik Kanat said that nearly two decades after the leading judgment, the issue remains unresolved.
The dispute has also continued in more recent cases. In June 2025, the ECHR ruled in Sagir and Others v. Greece that the refusal to register the Cultural Association of Turkish Women of the Prefecture of Xanthi violated Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects freedom of association.
The Court found that the refusal had been based on the distinction between Greece's recognised Muslim minority and an unrecognised Turkish minority, and concluded that the refusal was not justified by a threat to public order or a pressing social need.
MINORITY SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION RIGHTS
Çelik Kanat also raised concerns over education in Western Thrace, including the closure of minority primary schools and the lack of bilingual minority kindergartens.
According to figures cited in the speech, the number of minority primary schools in the region has fallen from 194 in 2008 to 76 following further closures in 2026. The Turkish Foreign Ministry has criticised the closure of schools and restrictions affecting enrolment at the 1st Turkish Minority Primary School of İskeçe, arguing that such measures violate minority education rights and the provisions of the Treaty of Lausanne.
The issue also extends to bilingual education. Applications for Turkish-Greek bilingual minority kindergartens have reportedly remained unresolved since 2011.
ELECTED MUFTIS AND FREEDOM OF RELIGION
The recognition of elected muftis was another issue highlighted by the Turkish lawmaker.
Çelik Kanat argued that Greece's continued refusal to recognise muftis elected by members of the Turkish minority constitutes a serious restriction on religious freedom.
She also referred to earlier ECHR rulings concerning elected muftis, including the Serif v. Greece and Agga v. Greece cases, in which the Court found violations of freedom of religion in connection with criminal proceedings against elected religious leaders.
DEBATE OVER TURKISH IDENTITY AND THE TREATY OF LAUSANNE
Another major point of Çelik Kanat's speech was the dispute over the ethnic identity of the Muslim minority in Western Thrace.
She criticised the use of the Treaty of Lausanne's reference to a “Muslim minority” as a basis for restricting the use of the term “Turkish” by members of the community.
She argued that the treaty does not prevent individuals from expressing their ethnic identity and said Turkish ethnic identity and Greek citizenship should not be regarded as mutually exclusive.
Her remarks echoed the reasoning in the ECHR's recent Sagir judgment, which found that the refusal to register a Turkish women's association could not be justified simply by distinguishing between a recognised Muslim minority and an unrecognised Turkish minority.
RIGHTS CONCERNS EXTEND BEYOND WESTERN THRACE
Çelik Kanat also argued that the rights concerns affecting Greece's Turkish community extend beyond Western Thrace.
According to figures cited in her speech, around 6,000 Turks living on Rhodes and Kos do not benefit from minority status and have no Turkish-language schools. She also raised concerns over places of worship and cemeteries affecting the Turkish community in Selanik.
PACE REPORT ON GREECE ALSO RAISES MIGRATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS
The criticism came shortly after PACE adopted Resolution 2674 on September 29, 2026, on Greece's compliance with its Council of Europe membership obligations.
The resolution identifies concerns including the treatment of migrants and calls on Greece to refrain from violations of international law, including pushback operations, and to fully implement judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. It also calls for improvements in reception conditions for vulnerable migrants.
During the debate, Çelik Kanat linked these wider human rights concerns with the situation of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, arguing that European institutions should apply the same standards to all Council of Europe member states.
She also referred to deaths in the Aegean, alleged pushbacks and concerns over accountability for actions by Greek authorities.
CALL FOR CONCRETE ACTION
Çelik Kanat concluded by calling on PACE to insist on a clear timetable for Greece to fully implement ECHR judgments and comply with its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The broader PACE resolution adopted on September 29 passed with 40 votes in favour, none against and seven abstentions. While the resolution addresses several rule-of-law, migration and human rights concerns, Çelik Kanat argued that European institutions need to move beyond reporting violations and ensure that judgments and recommendations produce tangible results.
“Double standards must end. The same obligations must apply to every member state,” Çelik Kanat said in her address.
