Western Thrace Turks continue their struggle for minority rights in the spirit of the "29 January resistance"
The President of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board (BTTADK) and the Elected Mufti of Komotini İbrahim Şerif and the Elected Mufti of Xanthi Mustafa Trampa, spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) about the protest march that took place in Komotini on January 29, 1988 with the participation of more than 10 thousand people and its achievements.
İbrahim Şerif stated that Western Thrace Turks were able to use almost all of their minority rights, which existed in accordance with the treaties, until the 1967 Colonels' Junta, and said that these rights began to be taken away from the minority after the junta regime.
Explaining that Western Thrace Turks lost their citizenship rights as well as their minority rights over time, "The Turkish minority was condemned to live a ghetto life," he said.
Noting that the request to close the GTGB and ITB associations on the grounds that the signboards contain the phrase "Turk", Şerif said that it was the last straw for the Turks of Western Thrace:
"There was going to be a meeting between the late Turgut Özal and then-Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou in Davos in 1988. At this meeting, it was decided to organize a march in Komotini on January 29 to draw attention to us. That day went down in history as a glorious resistance."
Citizenship rights were restored thanks to the January 29 resistance
Şerif stated that when he came on January 29, over 10 thousand Muslim Turks "crossed the mountains over the stones", gathered in the town square of Komotini and marched, despite the bans, and stated that some of their citizenship rights were taken back thanks to the resistance that started that day.
Explaining that the Greek law enforcement forces intervened violently in the crowd who wanted to march, many people were injured and hospitalized, and some people were arrested, Şerif continued his words as follows:
"This march took place on a day when the minority could no longer tolerate it. A year after the resistance, we succeeded in sending Sadik Ahmet to the Greek parliament as an independent deputy in 1989. We also tried for the right to elect a mufti, which was taken from us for several years. The government did not want the election of a mufti. We did not want the election of a mufti. We did it with our own means. First, 3 candidates from religious officials were determined. On December 28, 1990, our people elected me as mufti with 95 percent of the votes. After the election, the government launched prosecutions. As a result of these struggles, then Prime Minister (Constantin) Mitsotakis told the minority, 'There will be equality in rights and duties. .' Thus, the ghettoization that has been going on for 30 years is over and the minority regained their rights."
İbrahim Şerif stated that the Turkish minority of Western Thrace regained their citizenship rights thanks to the resistance on January 29, 1988, and said, "The Turks started to get licenses and real estate again, but today, minority rights arising from the Treaty of Lausanne have not been restored. The Mufti is not recognized, the education problem continues and "We cannot express ourselves as Turks. Our struggle continues."
"29 January National Resistance Day is a day of honor for the Turks of Western Thrace"
Mustafa Trampa, the Elected Mufti of Xanthi, noted that the January 29, 1988 resistance took place after the Turkish presence in Western Thrace was ignored, and said, "When we look at the process between the 1967 Colonels' Junta administration and the January 29 resistance, we see that repression policies that can be considered very funny were implemented."
Stating that the fanatical Greeks attacked and vandalized the workplaces of the Turkish minority on the second anniversary of the 29 January National Resistance Day, Trampa said, "During these attacks, over 500 shops were looted and goods were plundered."
Trampa noted that the problems related to the management of the foundations and the Mufti were inherited from those days and said that Greece was trying to seize the foundation properties belonging to Muslim Turks and that the foundation properties were managed by the people appointed by the Greek authorities.
Stating that the Greek authorities continue to work on the "mufti institution" by showing the appointed mufti, Trampa said that the material and moral pressures continue on those who fight for minority rights.
Trampa concluded his words by explaining that Greece aims to make the Western Thrace Turkish minority forget their identity and that their national and moral values are attacked:
"It is important to keep the spirit of January 29, which is the day of honor for Western Thrace Turks, alive. We, as the Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board, organize events every year to convey this spirit to our youth. We listened to the stories of people who lived on January 29 and were exposed to violence on their anniversary. Until then "As minority people, we are saddened to see that the unlawful practices against minority rights continue and to fight for it. Greece is the cradle of democracy, but unfortunately failed in minority rights."
29 January resistance in Western Thrace
After the associations in Western Thrace with the expression Turkish in their names were wanted to be closed by court decision on the grounds that there were no Turks in Greece, the Turkish minority carried out a great march called collective resistance in Komotini on January 29, 1988.
On January 29, 1990, the second anniversary of these reactions, mass attacks against the Turks were carried out by fanatical Greek groups in Komotini and Xanthi.
In the attacks that lasted for two days with the permission of the Greek police, more than 500 Turkish shops and workplaces were destroyed and looted, and many Turks, including the late Mufti of Xanthi Mehmet Emin Aga and the independent deputy of the time, Ahmet Faikoğlu, were beaten.
The Turkish minority in Western Thrace organizes "commemoration" events on January 29 every year.
