Dear readers,
As of 25 June, after the heated election period, I said that politicians and the public deserved to rest.
Indeed, the period between the two elections was very active, very controversial and very heated for everyone.
Like every year, I was in my hometown in Western Thrace, to spend my summer vacation with my family.
Naturally, I also talked to our people and representatives of our community in the region.
While I was in the region, I attended a commemoration ceremony held at the grave of my brother, Dr. Sadik Ahmet, who was the leader and pioneer of our community, and with whom I worked internationally many times during his lifetime.
On this occasion, I once again commemorate him with mercy and respect.
While the drowsiness brought by the summer following the elections is continuing, we have received the news that 9 more primary schools will be closed in the 2023-2024 school year.
Our schools are ours; we have autonomy in education, but who cares!
Since 2011, there has been a rapid decrease in the number of primary schools every year.
There are 21 children in the Greek primary school, which was opened with only 4 children in 2013 in the island of Gökçeada in our motherland, and there are 35 students in the secondary and high school opened there in 2015.
Meanwhile, while the number of primary schools in Western Thrace was 231 in 1995, the number of primary schools decreased to 90 in the last 28 years, with 9 primary schools to be closed in the 2023-24 school year.
It is said that it is a practice that is applied throughout the country, but the truth is that the state does not have the right to interfere with our schools!
That’s why, as we always say, this situation has turned into a tool of systematic discrimination against our community.
The number of our primary schools is decreasing day by day!
Our kindergartens issue continues!
In Xanthi, nearly half of the population is Turkish, and in Rodopi it is the majority.
But while there are 42 state kindergartens in Rodopi and 30 in Xanthi, we do not have a single kindergarten in both prefectures.
All requests and applications were left unanswered!
The aim of our country is to implement the strategy that is in applied in Rhodes and Kos!
3 Turkish schools in Rhodes (Rodos) and 2 Turkish schools in Kos (İstanköy) were closed in 1972 and never opened again.
The main aim is to dissolve the Turkish schools in Western Thrace as well!
Our country does not accept our Turkishness, it forbids the definition of Turkish in the names of our associations; closing our schools; and it does not recognise our muftis.
Why all these restrictions?
Our country wants to take our autonomy in the field of education and religion first under the control of the state and ultimately destroy it.
The main purpose is to show as if the Turkish presence in Western Thrace does not exist, to create such a perception.
Indeed, it realised this in Rhodes and Kos!
State policy based on denial also finds an echo in the media.
The discriminatory, stigmatising, and marginalising language against our community is dominant in the media!
We experienced this very vividly after the 21 May elections.
We also witnessed that some politicians and academics in our country made some positive statements regarding our existence and identity between and after the two elections.
Are these the first footsteps of change?
Indeed, as Mitsotakis’ father implemented the policy of isonomia-isopolitia, that is, equality before the law and equal citizenship, may be the son Mitsotakis would talk about change as the government!
However, the government must first show its goodwill towards our community, and this would be implementation of the ECtHR judgments that have not been executed for the past 15 years.
Subsequently, it must establish a dialogue mechanism to produce solutions to all our issues together, at equal eye level, by saying ‘‘For the minority, together with the minority’’ rather than ‘‘For the minority, despite the minority’’.
We do not know if those days will come, but this is the truth!
We are determined to voice this demand out loud!
Greetings and Yours sincerely,
Halit Habip Oğlu
ABTTF President
