Statute

a) The name of the Federation is “Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (Avrupa Batı Trakya Türk Federasyonu)”. Its acronym is “ABTTF”.

b) The Federation is registered at the Registry of Associations of the Giessen Court of First Instance.

c) The Federation has its seat in Giessen.

A. Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe is;

a. a pluralist, liberal, democratic organisation respecting rule of law.
b. The Federation proceeds its activities in adherence with German Federal Law.
c. The Federation is independent of political parties, state institutions and governments.

B. ABTTF's goals;

a. To deal with the problems of the Muslim Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, engage in solution of these problems, taking initiatives in view of defending the rights and interests of the Minority members.
b. To contribute to efforts to ensure and maintain material and spiritual solidarity among members of the Muslim Turkish Minority of Western Thrace living in Europe. (e.g. Funeral Fund for the Western Thrace Turks living in Germany). To cherish and keep alive national and religious culture, to present the cultural values in Europe and worldwide via organising conferences, panels, exhibitions and pursuing cultural, social and scientific activities.
c. To inform and guide the member associations' chairs and members on relevant matters by organising seminars and conferences in order to raise their cultural awareness.
d. To ensure and improve solidarity so that the member associations can act together and be constructive.
e. To assume activities for the development of friendship and cooperation in Turkish-Greek relations. To pursue common works together with respective institutions and organisations to this end.
f. To organise activities for the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace to protect and promote its cultural identity in Europe.
g. To support and invest efforts in solution of the legal, political, economic and socio-cultural problems encountered by the members of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace both in Greece or in the host countries they migrated from Greece. To endeavour for the Minority members' equal rights both in Greece and in host countries.

C. For the realization of above-named goals, ABTTF;

a. Can establish all forms of subsidiary organisation, commission, fund, foundation, cooperative, institute, library etc., if deemed necessary.
b. Can assign tasks to above-named establishments with the condition of liability to ABTTF Presidium.
c. Pursues common collective activities together with Turkish associations in Germany and other European countries, establishes cooperation with other minorities' associations established in Germany and/or operating in the European level, other democratic civil society organisations, press, universities, political parties, trade unions, religious organisations and persons.
d. Can establish representative offices/branches abroad particularly in Greece if deemed necessary.

a) All registered associations legally established and officially registered by the members of the Muslim Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, which pursue its activities in Europe in line with the ABTTF Statute, can sign up for membership. Equally, from the regions where no associations have not yet been established, individual members of the Muslim Turkish Minority of Western Thrace can sign up for ABTTF membership.

b) Application for membership is to be submitted to ABTTF Presidium by the executive board of the interested association following the approval of its general assembly. Admission to the membership requires the approval of the ABTTF Presidium. Natural persons can directly submit their application for membership.

d) ABTTF Presidium evaluates the membership application in its first board meeting following the submission of the written application. At latest within three months’ time the Presidium concludes its decision on membership.

e) If any articles in contradiction with the ABTTF Statute is detected, ABTTF Presidium might ask the association, which submitted application for membership, to revise the concerned points within its Statute.

f) In cases of refusal of membership application, the natural person and associations do have the right to submit a written request for reconsideration of the decision at the first ABTTF General Assembly.

g) General Assembly may terminate the membership of an association and natural persons with simple majority, who had initially been admitted to membership by ABTTF Presidium’s decision.

Membership to ABTTF terminates in the following cases;

a. Termination of membership by members,
b. Termination of membership by ABTTF,
c. Dissolution of the member association.

a) The termination of the membership by member associations requires three months of notice, approval of the decision of termination of membership at their general assembly with 2/3 majority of votes, communication of the decision to the ABTTF Presidium with a written declaration and payment of all remaining membership fees to ABTTF. ABTTF Presidium is liable to inform ABTTF Board of Representatives of this decision.

b) The termination of the membership by ABTTF requires a majority of 2/3 votes of the ABTTF General Assembly on a recommendation from the ABTTF Board of Representatives in the following situations;

i) Despite two warnings, failing the payment of membership fees at least for six months,
ii) Having an attitude and performing deeds which are not compatible with the ABTTF Statute.

a) Membership fees to be paid by the member associations are determined by ABTTF General Assembly.

b) Member associations and individual members are liable for paying their membership fees on regular basis.

If a written request is submitted with reasons by the member associations, ABTTF Presidium might apply reduction, instalment for the payment of membership fees or postpone it for a certain period.

a) Each member association and individual member has the right to participate in and contribute to decision-making, take part in voting mechanisms and influence the decisions of the Federation in relation to the future of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.

b) Without informing ABTTF Presidium, member associations cannot take initiatives on behalf of ABTTF, which would fall within the liabilities and competences of ABTTF Presidium.

The Federation is formed by the organs indicated below:

a. General Assembly
b. Board of Representatives
c. Presidium
d. Audit Board
e. Disciplinary Board

a) The General Assembly is the highest decision-making organ of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe.

b) The General Assembly is composed of the delegates from the member associations elected at their own general assemblies, ABTTF Presidium, Audit and Disciplinary Board members and natural persons. If a constituency bears 7 or more individual members, member association procedure is to be applied for the respective group of natural persons.

c) The General Assembly summons every four years. ABTTF Presidium or Board of Representatives may call for an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly. At least with the 1/3 majority of the total number of member associations or upon the written request of Disciplinary Board, in line with the ABTTF Statute, ABTTF Presidium is liable for calling for General Assembly to summon at latest within a one-month period.

d) The General Assembly bears the right to take decision with participation of at least 1/3 majority of the total number of delegates. If the respective majority cannot be obtained in the first summoning, the General Assembly is to be postponed for 4 (four) weeks. This requires a special call, as well. At the second summoning, participation of 1 /4 of the total number of delegates is sufficient for decision-making.

e) The General Assembly is supervised by an Election Council composed of a chair and two secretaries who are elected by the General Assembly. The members of the Presidium, Audit Board and Disciplinary Board cannot be part of the Election Council. Chair of the Election Council is liable for approval of minutes of the General Assembly and assigning them to the newly elected Presidium. 

f) ABTTF member associations participate in General Assembly as following: 

1. Associations with up to 24 (twenty-four) members participate with 4 (four) delegates 
2. Associations with number of members between 24 (twenty-four) and 54 (fifty-four) participate with 7 delegates 
3. Associations with more than 54 (fifty-four) members participate with 7 (seven)members and each 10 (ten) remaining number of members beyond 54 (fifty-four) members are represented by 1 (one) delegate. 

g) The invitation to General Assembly includes the date, venue and agenda. The invitation is to be posted by mail at latest three weeks before the date of assembly. As the possibilities allow, General Assembly is organised in a different city at each summoning.

h) Each delegate can use the right of vote at the General Assembly only by himself/herself. The delegates of the member associations, who have not yet paid the membership fee, including the day of the General Assembly, cannot vote, neither declare their candidacy for the election to Presidium.

i) With the oral or written request from delegates, an additional point can be added to the General Assembly agenda. For this, simple majority is required.

j) Members of the Presidium, Audit Board and Disciplinary Board who served until the General Assembly, bear the rights of delegate even if they do not participate at the General Assembly with status of delegate.

k) The General Assembly is open for delegates and observers of the member associations, representatives of invited organisations, press, and invited individual participants. General Assembly decides with simple majority on guests' and observers' delivering speech.

l) If not stated differently in the ABTTF Statute, decisions at the General Assembly require simple majority for adoption.

m) Agenda items of the General Assembly covers: 

a. Formation of Election Council 
b. Presentation and Evaluation of the Presidium’s Annual Report 
c. Presentation and Evaluation of the Audit Report 
d. Exculpation of the Presidium 
e. Election of the new President of the Federation 
f. Election of the new Vice Presidents of the Federation 
f. Election of the new Audit Board 
g. Election of the new Disciplinary Board 

a) Board of Representatives is the highest decision making organ among consecutive General Assemblies.

b) Board of Representatives is formed by 2 members from each ABTTF members associations and members of the ABTTF Presidium.

c) When necessary and at least once a year, the Board of Representatives summons with participation of at least 1/ 4 of the total number of its members.

d) Except on the subjects specified by the ABTTF Statute as decision making is limited to the competences of the General Assembly, Board of Representatives bears the competence of making decisions on subjects given below:

I) Review Presidium’s annual report,
II) Review Audit Board's mid-term reports,
III) Form consultative commissions,
IV) Define the work of the formed consultative commissions,
V) Grant order of honorary membership,
VI) Set-up by-laws and regulations or undertaking amendments to the existing ones.

a) ABTTF Presidium has 11 (eleven) members:  

I) President 
II) 10 (ten) Vice-Presidents 

b) The Presidium is elected by the General Assembly for a term of 4 (four) years according to the ABTTF Election Code. 

c) Elected President and Vice-Presidents cannot assume duty in no other organs except their ipso facto membership to Board of Representatives.  

d) Besides general managerial tasks, the Presidium is liable for the execution of decisions taken by the Board of Representatives and General Assembly as well as ABTTF’s recruitment policy. 

e) In accordance with Article 26 of the German Civil Law, the Presidium is formed by President and ten (10) Vice-Presidents. The President of the Federation has the competence of representing organization alone, whereas Vice-Presidents bear the right to representation together. The staff cannot take part in the Presidium. 

f) Spokesperson of Young ABTTF who is elected by the members of Young ABTTF, is automatically considered as a member of Presidium however he/she does not bear the right to vote in the meetings of Presidium.

a) ABTTF’s board of auditors is composed of 3 (three) members. One of the three auditors is elected as chair.  

b) The board of auditors is elected at ABTTF General Assembly held every 4 (four) years according to the ABTTF Election Code.  

c) The members elected to the audit board cannot assume or undertake duty in other organizational entities of ABTTF. 

d) Audit board inspects decisions and accounts of the Federation at least once in a year. The mid-term reports prepared following audit is submitted to Board of Representatives and Presidium. The general audit report prepared at the end of the term is presented at the General Assembly.  

a) ABTTF’s disciplinary board is composed of 3 (three) members. One of the members of the board is elected as chair.

b) The disciplinary board is elected at ABTTF General Assembly held every 4 (four) years according to the ABTTF Election Code.

c) As the members of the disciplinary board cannot take up duty in other organizational bodies of ABTTF, they cannot be member to the board of any member association either.

d) The disciplinary board examines conviction of the members of organizational bodies as well as those who serve within the sub commissions. The suspected or convicted members are brought to the agenda of the following General Assembly.

a) According to the Article 2 paragraph c of the ABTTF Statute, Terms of Reference and By-laws provides in-depth information regarding the competences, obligations and functioning of the organs within the structure of ABTTF.

b) Terms of Reference and By-laws and amendments can be adopted with simple majority of the votes of Board of Representatives, on the condition of not conflicting with ABTTF Statute.

c) Proposals for the Terms of Reference and By-laws can be received either from Presidium or by written request from one of the member associations to the Board of Representatives.

Implementations in contrast with terms of reference and by-laws cannot be undertaken.

a) Amendment proposals on the Statute can be submitted to Presidium in written by Board of Representatives or with the signatures of the 1/3 majority of the total number of member associations. Equally, Presidium can also include the amendment proposals in the agenda within the invitation to General Assembly.

b) In order for the amendments to be placed on the General Assembly agenda, amendment proposals, together with the original part of the respective regulation, are required to be sent to member associations. Amendments to the articles which were not indicated within the General Assembly invitation thus agenda, cannot be undertaken in that summoning of the General Assembly.

a) The Federation is dissolved with the decision taken with 2/3 majority of the member associations. Call for dissolution is to be made with written request of more than half of the total number of the member associations.

b) Following the decision on the dissolution of ABTTF or disappearance of its hitherto existing goal, the property and assets of the Federation are transferred to the “Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB)” in Germany which is obliged to use these only for charitable purposes. The decision on the transfer of assets requires the approval of the competent tax and revenue office. Liquidator is the last President.

a) The Federation acts only in the interest of public and it does not pursue activities serving lucrative aims. Federation cannot pursue activities in line with political parties.

b) The Presidium is liable for execution of the activities of the Federation, which is registered at the tax office as an organisation in favour of public interest.

c) The Organs of the Federation are liable for communicating the following information to the tax authorities before they enter into force; dissolution of the Federation, amendments on the Statute in relation to articles on goals of the Federation or in relation to its status of being a non-profit organisation.