Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) attended the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) meetings

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) attended the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) meetings.

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) attended the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) meetings which are organized in Strasbourg, France between 26-29 June. ABTTF has been represented by Mustafa Geveli, Director of Greek Studies and Economic Affairs of ABTTF in PACE meetings. ABTTF has made some intensive lobby activities for adoption of the motion in the first Assembly meeting which has been organized after Spring Session in which a motion related with 19. Article had been presented. ABTTF thanked to parliamenters who have signed the motion and made one-to-one interwievs with lots of parliamenters.

Motion of 19. Article has been adopted.

Meetings made for adoption of the motion have been effective and it has been understood by adoption of the motion. Lots of parliamenters have declared positive opinions about support of the motion after meetings. In the last day of the meetings, Latvian parliamenter Boriss Cilevics who gave the motion has declared that the motion related with 19. Article had been adopted by PACE. After this development, Portuguese parliamenter Joao Mota Amaral has declared that the motion had been in a very good way and it had been taken in to bureaucratic transaction. Boriss Cilevics who gave the motion has said that they had successed to make the motion adopt with lobby activities after a difficult process and he said that this motion would be transacted by other motion given related with Macedonian Minority. Process has continued by selection of a raporteur for the motion. It has been also stated in the motion that the raporteur who would be selected for the motion should be versatile and experienced about minority issues. The raporteur will investigate violated rights of Turksih Minority of Western Thrace and will prepare a report to PACE.

We should realize the value of this motion.

Halit Habipoğlu, the President of ABTTF has talked after this development and he said “adoption of the motion in PACE is a very important and a satisfactory development. At first, a Turkish parliamenter gave a motion about the problems of our Minority and now other European parliamenters have become aware of our problems. This motion opens the way to make political impression on Greece. We should realize the value of this motion. Now, we should work with raporteur and we should make all problems of Turkish Minority of Western Thrace written in the report”. Boriss Cilevics who gave the motion and who is positive about problems of Turkish Minority of Western Thrace has been selected as the raporteur of the motion and Catherine Maffucci-Hugel has been appointed to the secretariat of the raporteur.