Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) has been accepted to ordinary mem-bership for FUEN.

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) has been accepted to ordinary mem-bership for FUEN.

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) has been accepted to ordinary membership for FUEN by majority of votes of delegates in the 52. Congress of Federal Union of European Nation-alties (FUEN) which has been organized in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, between 16-20 May 2007. Also, Western Thrace Minority High Educated People’s Association (BTAYTD) has been accepted to ordinary membership for FUEN with ABTTF. According to the decision taken, Turkish Minority of Western Thrace will be represented by Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) and Western Thrace Minority High Educated People’s Association (BTAYTD) in following FUEN con-gresses.

FUEN has changed its statute for membership of ABTTF.

Before the Congress, Council of Delegates held in conference. Romedi Arquint, the President of FUEN has presented activity report of last 2 years, then Frank Nickelsen, the Secretary General, has presented the budget of FUEN. After these presentations, Hermann Heil, the President of Control Commission read the evaluation report and the new budget has been accepted unanimously. After acception of the new budget, election, in which new president and new vice-presidents of FUEN have been selected, has been held. There was only one candidate for the presidency and Hans Heinrich Hansen has been selected as the new President of FUEN unanimously. 8 candidates have contended for 6 vice-presidencies, 4 ex-vice-presidents have been selected again, and new 2 vice-presidents successed to be selected for FUEN Presidium. Consequently, the Presidium of FUEN has been composed under Hans Heinrich Hansen’s presidency with vice-presidencies of Heinrich Schultz, Jurij Brankack, Zlatka Mag Gieler, Andrea Rassel, Martha Stocker and John Catcliffe.

Then it was gotten through to the most important item of the agenda which is related with ABTTF and statute of FUEN has been changed. The new statute which let minority NGOs activating out of their countries to be member of FUEN has been accepted. Later, 5 motions submitted to the Council of Delegates, have been accepted unanimously. It has been decided to send these motions having advi-sory character to European Union and to the governments of related countries.

Education problem of minorities was the mostly discussed case in the Congress.

After the meeting of the Council of Delegates, the Congress has started. Then, opening of the Congress has been made by speeches of Romedi Arquint, the President of FUEN, Urve Palo, Minister of Popula-tion and Ethnic Affairs of Estonia, Jaak Prozes, Chairman of the Estonian Union for National Minori-ties, Edgar Savisaar, Mayor of Tallinn and Aleksander Studen-Kirchner, the President of the Youth of European Nationalities.

In the first session of the Congress, Oliver Paasch, Minister of Education and Scientific Research of Government of the German Speaking Community in Belgium, introduced the fundamental right of edu-cation and explained the developments about German Minority’s education in Belgium. Paasch stated that other minorities in Europe also should have minority education qualities that they had in Belgium. Generally, minority education case has been discussed in following sessions of the Congress. It has been emphasized that taking education of minorities in their native language had been one of the basic right, and it is stated in the press conference that states had to annul the limitations, which stiil remain, on minorities’ education rights.

ABTTF has put the education problems of Turkish Minority of Western Thrace on the agenda.

Secretary General of ABTTF, Özkan Reşit, has made a speech in the session, and he said all attentions made to see the education of minorities in their native language as a basic right and international agree-ments that were signed are still not considered by the state in Greece. What can be done against states which ignore warnings and agreements has been discussed in the session and it has been stated that European minorities should continue to be in close connection, to move in common for this case and it has been accorded on all minority NGOs should continue to lobby activities with determinatedness by international institutions.

Western Thrace Minority High Educated People’s Association has been represented by Pervin Hayrul-lah and Cemil Kabza. In the following session of the Congress, Cemil Kabza has made a speech in the name of Western Thrace Minority High Educated People’s Association (BTAYTD) and he explained the relations between Turkish Minority of Western Thrace and media, then he gave some information about local Turkish press in Western Thrace.

The next congress of FUEN is in the city of Pecs of Hungary.

After consistent works in the Congress, in the last day, it is decided to organize the next congress of FUEN in the city of Pecs of Hungary, with the host of German Minority of Hungary and Hungarian Government, in May 2008. ABBTF has attended to the 52. Congress of FUEN with a 4-person delega-tion under the presidency of Halit Habipoğlu composing of Halit Habipoğlu, the President of ABTTF, Özkan Reşit, the Secretary General of ABTTF, Mustafa Kasap and Mehmet Hüseyin, the Members of Administrative Board of ABTTF and ABTTF delegation has left the Congress with positive impres-sion. Halit Habipoğlu, the President of ABTTF evaluated the Congress and he said that they had been attending to FUEN Congress for 4 years, they had been told that membership of ABTTF had not been possible because of its diaspora status in the beginning, but they had continued lobby activities with determinatedness and they had been accepted to membership of FUEN at the last. Habipoğlu said “at first they told us that we could not be a memper of FUEN because we were an NGO out of Greece. But we successed to explain that we conduct a democratic contest by attending every FUEN congress. At the last, they have changed the statute for our membership and ABTTF became a member of FUEN. Importance of lobbying has been proved once more”.

Habipoğlu also appreciated Western Thrace Minority High Educated People’s Association, another NGO of Turkish Minority of Western Thrace which became member of FUEN with ABTTF and he said “from now on, Turkish Minority of Western Thrace has 6 delegates in FUEN. We should use this advantage positively and we should explain our problems comprehensively in every FUEN congress” and he finished his words.