ABTTF President: “Why were primary school children accepted by the Ministry of Defence and not the Ministry of Education? Could this be a veiled message towards the Turkish community?”
Pupils at Turkish primary schools in the villages of Polianthos (Narlıköy), Asomatos (Bulatköy), Passos (Basırlıköy), Organi (Hemetli), Ano Virsini (Hacıören) and Ano Drossini (Üntüren) in Western Thrace made an educational trip to Athens. As part of the visit in Athens, Turkish pupils were received by the Minister of Defence Nikos Dendias.
During their visit to the Ministry of Defence, the pupils were welcomed by Minister Dendias, and Greek Chief of General Staff Dimitris Houpis also attended the meeting. According to Birlik’s news report, Dendias indicated the following: ‘‘Although I am from Corfu at the other end of Greece, I think I have visited (Western) Thrace 10 times. (...) You are the future; you are the children with whom a much better tomorrow will be built. It is a great pleasure for us to have you here today.”
“It is great for our children in Western Thrace to get to know their country by organising an educational trip to the capital of our country. We find it satisfactory that our children are meeting with government officials. But in this regard, I would like to ask the following: Why were primary school children accepted by the Ministry of Defence and not the Ministry of Education? Could this be a veiled message towards the Turkish community?”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
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