Western Thrace Turks targeted again in Greece: Legal action against the FEP Party
It was reported that an application was made to the Council of State and the Court of Cassation with the request to stop the activities of the Friendship Equality Peace (FEP) Party founded by the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace in Greece.
FEP Party President Çiğdem Asafoğlu, in a statement, stated that they have learnt from the press that some far-right party leaders and other individuals have applied for the inspection of their party and the suspension of its legal activities.
Asafoğlu stated that upon this development, they applied to the Council of State and the Court of Cassation in the capital Athens in order to obtain information about the files related to the allegations. Describing these attempts against the FEP Party as "worrying", Asafoğlu emphasised that in the European Parliament (EP) elections, in which they have participated three times so far, they became the first party in the provinces of Rodopi and Xanthi in Western Thrace. Asafoğlu said, "This result is an indication that the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace says 'My political representative is the FEP Party'."
"We will continue to defend our Turkish identity"
Asafoğlu stated that it is regrettable that such a demand was made against FEP in 2024 in a European Union (EU) member country and said the following: "The only agenda item in the EP elections was the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace and the FEP Party. The elections were held on 9 June and the FEP Party emerged with a great victory. We still continue to be on the agenda. We will continue to defend the ungranted, usurped rights and denied identity of Western Thrace Turks. They cannot intimidate us in any way."
Asafoğlu stated that they have not received any notification yet and that they have applied to the judiciary to learn the content of the files.
Although DEB came first in two of the three provinces in Western Thrace in the EP elections in 2014 and 2019, it could not send a deputy to the EP because it could not overcome the 3 percent election threshold applied throughout the country.
Dr. Sadık Ahmet, who fought for the rights of Western Thrace Turks, was elected as an independent deputy by receiving high votes in the general elections held in 1989. In order to prevent Ahmet's election, the Greek administration introduced a 3 per cent election threshold for both political parties and independent candidates on 24 October 1990.
Western Thrace Turks demand the abolition of the 3 per cent election threshold on the grounds that it prevents political representation.
