Western Thrace Turkish delegation attends OSCE Additional Human Dimension Meeting
Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) and Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA), representing the Turkish community in Western Thrace, attended the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Additional Human Dimension Meeting held on 22-23 April 2024 in Vienna, the capital of Austria.
At the OSCE Additional Human Dimension Meeting, the Western Thrace Turkish delegation consisting of ABTTF and WTMUGA drew attention to the fact that the ECtHR judgments on the Bekir Usta and Others Case Group have not been implemented for 16 years as an important indicator of the rule of law and that organisations and prominent representatives of the Turkish community in Western Thrace have been targeted.
At the first Additional Human Dimension Meeting of the year entitled "The Role of Civil Society in the Promotion and Protection of International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law" K. Engin Soyyılmaz from ABTTF and Kerem Abdurrahimoğlu from WTMUGA represented the Turkish community in Western Thrace.
Organised by the OSCE Maltese Chairmanship-in-Office and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the meeting discussed the importance of civil society in documenting violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, particularly in times of conflict and humanitarian crises, and the significant threats faced by human rights defenders in the OSCE region and the impact of these challenges on their security and ability to effectively carry out their work.
Speaking at the session on the role of civil society in monitoring violations of human rights law, WTMUGA representative Abdurrahimoğlu stated that Greece closed the associations of the Turkish community in Western Thrace, namely Xanthi Turkish Union, Komotini Turkish Youth Union and Western Thrace Turkish Teachers' Union 40 years ago on the grounds of the word "Turkish" in their names, Abdurrahimoğlu noted that the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) concerning Bekir Usta and Other Case Group, which includes the Cultural Association of Turkish Women of the Prefecture of Rodopi and the Evros Prefecture Minority Youth Association, whose registration applications were rejected, and the Xanthi Turkish Union, which was closed down, have not been implemented by Greece for 16 years. Abdurrahimoğlu noted that denying the identity of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and closing down their associations would not serve democracy and human rights and called on OSCE Participating States to encourage Greece to implement the ECtHR judgements in question.
Speaking at the session on the challenges faced by human rights defenders and civil society, Engin Soyyılmaz from ABTTF drew attention to the recent systematic violation of the rule of law in Greece where the Turkish community in Western Thrace lives and noted that although the implementation of ECtHR judgements in a country is one of the most important indicators of respect for the rule of law, Greece has persistently failed to implement the three judgements against the associations of the Turkish community in Western Thrace for 16 years despite all the warnings of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Stating that civil society organisations and representatives of the Turkish community in Western Thrace defending their rights in Greece are constantly subjected to pressure and intimidation and stigmatised, Soyyılmaz cited the lawsuit against the President of the Xanthi Turkish Union Ozan Ahmetoğlu and the investigation against the Elected Mufti of Komotini İbrahim Şerif once again with the allegation of "usurpation of office" as examples. ABTTF called on Greece to immediately implement the ECtHR judgments concerning the three associations of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and requested ODIHR to closely monitor the situation of the rule of law in Greece in close cooperation and dialogue with the EU Commission and the Council of Europe.
Speaking at the same session, WTMUGA representative Abdurrahimoğlu stated that the Greek government implements isolation and marginalisation policies against the Turkish community in Western Thrace, denies its identity, does not recognise its elected muftis and human rights defenders belonging to the Turkish community are subjected to criminal and financial prosecutions. Kerem Abdurrahimoğlu called on OSCE Participating States to encourage Greece to recognise the Turkish identity of the Turkish community in Western Thrace.
Greece, exercising its right to reply at the end of both sessions, reiterated its official thesis that according to the 1923 Lausanne Treaty there is only a Muslim minority in Thrace and claimed that the minority's freedom of association is respected and that it does not experience discrimination.
