Attack on Okçular Mosque’s dwelling

President Habipoğlu: These attacks in such fragile and sensitive period are alarming

On 22 May 2012, Okçular (Toxotes) Mosque’s dwelling in Xanthi was attacked. On Tuesday night, an unidentified person or a group stoned the dwelling and caused material damage on the dwelling.

Okçular Mosque became a target of provocative attacks in election periods

There are only seven Turkish families living in Okçular village, which is located at the entrance to Western Thrace from the direction of Thessaloniki. In the village where Christians are the majority, the mosque had been set on fire and completely burned down on 7 March 2004, prior to national elections. The second incendiary action took place in 2007, and now on the day of the early election announcement of Greece for the 4th of October 2009, the mosque became a place of vandalism again. On 2 September 2009, an arson attack took place against the Okçular Village Mosque, and the fire damaged interior carpets, the engine of air conditioner and part of the roof. Besides lusters, tim-ber panels, pulpit, the book of Qur’an and the stone nish were also damaged in the fire. This was the third time the mosque had been attacked since 2004, each time prior to national elections.

Halit Habipoğlu, President of Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) said, “We strongly condemn attack on dwelling of Okçular Mosque. The mosque has been a target of provoca-tive attacks in election periods in Greece. In the past, there happened three attacks on the mosque. In these days when the country is passing through a really hard time, such provocative attacks are alarming, and these attacks raise fear and concern among the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace. Still, the Turkish minority must protect its calmness, and it must have a say in the governing of its own country by sending Turkish deputies to the Greek Parliament with their votes they will cast in the elections on 17 June 2012.”