ABTTF indicated that individuals and institutions representing the Turkish community in Western Thrace have been subjected to stigmatisation, targeting and hate speech, and that associations have dissolved or not registered because their names contain the words ‘‘Turkish’’ or ‘‘Western Thrace’’, thereby attempting to intimidate and silence the Turkish community.
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) participated in the meeting titled ‘‘Protecting civic space- the role of human rights defenders and freedom of peaceful assembly: Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting II’’.
The meeting, which brought together representatives of OSCE countries, international organisations, civil society and human rights defenders and was attended by approximately 300 people, was attended by ABTTF International Relations Director Melek Kırmacı, representing the Turkish community of Western Thrace.
The meeting discussed good practices in the protection of human rights defenders and the challenges faced by civil society organisations and human rights defenders. It was noted that the civil space is increasingly under threat through defamation, criminalisation and direct attacks against human rights defenders.
Speaking at the meeting, which addressed challenges such as stigmatisation and discrediting campaigns, judicial harassment, censorship and surveillance faced by human rights defenders, ABTTF emphasised that the OSCE Guidelines on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly consider the freedom of peaceful assembly to be an important step in protecting the identity of minorities and preserving and developing minority cultures. It was also underlined that the increasing pressure on human rights defenders in Greece has been frequently criticised in reports by international organisations.
Referring to the European Parliament’s resolution in February 2024 and the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report on Greece in July 2024, ABTTF explained that the deteriorating situation in Greece regarding the rule of law and the protection of the civil sphere is also a cause for concern for the Turkish community in Western Thrace.
Moreover, ABTTF reported that individuals and institutions representing the Turkish community in Western Thrace have been subjected to stigmatisation, targeting and hate speech, noting that the Turkish community in Western Thrace is still perceived as the ‘‘other’’ in the lands they have lived in for centuries and is perceived as a threat to the country’s national unity and public order. Citing the presence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ office in the region as proof, ABTTF added that this regional office is highly effective in matters related to the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.
Stating that the judicial proceedings against representatives of the Turkish community in Western Thrace are being used as a tool to increase pressure on the community, ABTTF noted that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments in the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases have not been executed for the past 17 years, in violation of the Turkish community’s freedom of association. Regarding the continued narrowing of the civil society space, ABTTF noted that while the ECtHR judgments in the Bekir-Ousta group of cases are not executed, the Cultural Association of Turkish Women of the Prefecture of Xanthi was also not permitted to be established in the prefecture of Xanthi because its name included the word ‘‘Turkish’’. Additionally, ABTTF noted that the Western Thrace Fenerbahce Culture and Sports Association, officially established in 2022, was dissolved in 2024 on grounds that the term ‘‘Western Thrace’’ in its name was deemed contrary to public order.
Greece, exercising its right of reply at the meeting, claimed that the minority in the country is not Turkish, but a Muslim minority defined on religious grounds. Regarding the freedom to establish associations, Greece stipulated that it continues its efforts to execute the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments in the Bekir-Ousta group of cases. It also mentioned that a Committee of Experts has been established in Greece and that the committee has submitted its roadmap to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, claiming that Greece continues to fulfil its obligations.
