Gay McDougall, United Nations independent expert on minority issues, who visited Greece from 8 to 16 September 2008, published a report on the minorities in Greece. Considering the stance and articulation, the report presents the ideas of the related parties in a very objective way, which strengthens its importance.
In the report, McDougall urges the Greek Government to withdraw from the dispute over whether there is a Macedonian or a Turkish minority on its territory and focus on protecting the rights to self-identification, freedom of expression and freedom of association of those communities. Furthermore, it is stated in the report that minorities are constituent groups fully within the Greek society, not a foreign element, and determination of a group as minority is a matter of objective facts and exercise of the right of self-identification by persons belonging to the group.
Turkish Minority and its problems
In the report, McDougall states by using the term of “Western Thrace” that most of the members of the Muslim minority wish to be recognized as Turks with their ethnic Turkish identity.
Regarding the freedom of association, McDougall refers to the European Council of Human Rights’ judgments with regard to Xanthi Turkish Union and the Cultural Association of Turkish Women of the Region of Rodopi.
While McDougall mentions the claim of Greece that since (appointed) Muftis exercise under Sharia Law judicial functions relating to family and inheritance issues, they must be appointed by the State, she reflects in the report the statements of the minority members that they elect their own Muftis and demand official recognition of the elected Muftis.
Regarding education, McDougall states that in bilingual kindergartens, children will be able to better improve their Turkish and Greek language skills, thus in the future having more chance to choose between minority schools and public schools.
As for the chance of minority members to become civil servants, McDougall tells that nobody could become a high rank civil servant in Western Thrace due to confidence problems between the minority and Greek authorities.
Expressing his views, Halit Habipoglu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), stated that “McDougall reflects to a great extent the problems of the Turkish minority in the report, except the issue of Article 19. The report obviously shows the necessity that Greece should change its minority policy towards the Turkish minority of Western Thrace.”
The full text of the report can be retrieved here.
