Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) for the first time as a full member participated in the 53rd Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) Congress held on 21-25 May 2008 in Pecs, Hungary. Together with ABTTF, Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (BTAYTD) participated in the Congress after it had been accepted to FUEN as a full member. In accordance with the decision adopted in 2006, Western Thrace Turkish minority is represented by ABTTF and BTAYTD together in the Congress. On behalf of ABTTF, Halit Habipoğlu, the President of ABTTF and Özkan Reşit, Secretary General of ABTTF participated in the Congress, while BTAYTD wa represented by Pervin Hayrullah and Advocate Sinan Kavaz, members of the association.
Have gathered in various places in Europe, the 53rd Congress of FUEN was held in Pecs, Hungary, which was hosted by the Hungarian Germabn Minority and the Goverment of Hungary. As a respected discussion partner for governments and parliaments in many countries of Europe and in
European and international institutions through its consistent adherence to democracy and rights, its unwavering work for better protection of ethnic groups and its stance for peaceful dialogue, FUEN serves the ethnic groups in Europe and pursues the goal of preserving their national identity, their language, culture and the history of national minorities. The Federal Union of European Nationalities, which is an independent union of the organisations of national minorities in Europe, was established in 1949 today number 84 member organisations from 32 states. As a pool and umbrella organisation for national minorities, FUEN has changed its statue in the 52nd Congress to enable ABTTF to become a full member of FUEN.
Two significant successes pioneered by ABTTF were achieved at the Congress
After a year that ABTTF and BTAYTD have become full members of FUEN, two important successes pioneered by ABTTF were achieved in the 53rd Congress. Firstly, a resolution stating violations of Greece against the Western Thrace Turkish Minority was adopted in the Assembly of Delegates of FUEN on 24 May 2008 in Pecs. Greece was called upon to recognise the existence of a Turkish ethnic and linguistic minority living in the country with its right to freedom of assembly and association and right to education, and it was demanded from the Greek authorities to take steps to ensure the immediate rectification of the unfortunate consequences arising form deprivaion of Greek citizenship on tha basis of former Article 19 of the Citizenship Code by recalling that the EU is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy and respect for human rights and freedoms and the rule of law. Secondly, Halit Habipoğlu, the President of ABTTF, has been elected to the European Dialogue Forum which is to be co-chaired by the Intergroup for Traditional Minorities in the European Parliament and FUEN in association with the Youth of European Nationalities (YEN). As a result of the strategic partnership in the last few years with YEN, FUEN is to bring eight delegates besides the FUEN President to the European Dialogue Forum of Traditional and National Minorities, Constitutional Regions and Regional Languages, in short European Forum Dialogue. The Forum will discuss current challenges, problems and long terms strategies in Europe and contact between politics and the European minorities will thereby be brought into an institutional framework. And it is important that one representative from the Western Thrace Turkish Minority is to have a seat in the Forum. Therefore it is a huge success that Halit Habipoğlu has been elected as one of the seven delegates from FUEN to work at this Forum.
ABTTF, which was represented in the Congress by two delegates, the President and the Secretary General, returned back with a very positive impression about the 53rd Congress. Halit Habipoğlu, the President of ABTTF, underlined that ABTTF had participated in FUEN congresses for four years and been granted with the status of full membership to FUEN after a long and sincere lobby activity although FUEN statue did not allow the minority organisations outside the home country to become full members to FUEN. Habipoğlu made an assesment on the Congress as follows: “ABTTF has achieved two important successes at the 53rd Congress only after a year it became a full member of FUEN. We, the Western Thrace Turkish Minority, has succeeded that a resolution on the situation of the Minority and violations against it were adopted in the Assembly of Delegates. And a represantive from our Minority was elected to the European Dialogue Forum, besides other six delegates elected from FUEN. It is amid that the Minority has grabbed a great chance to involve directly in minority policies and strategies of the European Parliament. And we have no doubt that we will become more powerful in the following years. ABTTF together with BTAYTD will work in future with enthusiasm for the sake of the Minority in close cooperation with FUEN.”
RESOLUTION 2008-08
The Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities passes the
following resolution on 24th May 2008 in Pécs / Hungary.
Continuing Violations against the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace in Greece
- Recalling that the European Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy,
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law; principles
which are common to the Member States,
- Recalling that the protection of minorities is inherent in the protection human rights and
fundamental freedoms,
- Recalling that Greece has signed the Charter for Fundamental Rights of the European
Union and is a Party to the European Convention on Human Rights and the
International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,
- Recalling that Greece has signed the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) and is a Party to the European Court of Human Rights,
- Recalling that Greece has signed the Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human
Rights, and its Article 2 provides for the right not to be denied an education and
the right for parents to have their children educated in accordance with their
religious and other views,
We call upon the Greek state to:
1. Recognise the existence of a Turkish ethnic and linguistic minority in Greece.
2. Ratify, without delay and without reservations, the Framework Convention for the
Protection of National Minorities.
3. Sign and ratify, without delay and without reservations, the European Charter
for Regiona and Minority Languages.
4. Demand that Greek authorities take steps to ensure the immediate rectification of
the unfortunate consequences arising from deprivation of Greek citizenship on the
basis of former Article 19 of the Citizenship Code for all persons concerned,
especially ethnic Turks. In particular, we urge the authorities to genuinely facilitate
these persons’ recovery of their citizenship by removing any obstacle, including the
need for them to go through the naturalisation procedure.
5. Ensure immediately that freedom of association is guaranteed by the Greek
Constitution for all persons concerned and demand that the Greek authorities abolish
all restrictions to the freedom of association for the ethnic minorities, especially ethnic
Turks. Remembering that is prohibited using the denomination „Turkish“ in names
or associations by the Supreme Court which suited a prohibition procedure
against the Turkish Union of Xanthi founded in 1927 and not granted the foundation of
the Cultural Association of Turkish Women of the Region of Rodopi, we urge the Greek
State immediately end the abuse of the right of freedom of association so that civil and
political rights of the ethnic minorities are guaranteed for all persons concerned.
6. Take immediate steps to ensure that the rights to education for the ethnic minorities
are guaranteed so that children in Western Thrace have a bilingual preschool education.
Remembering that the ethnic Turkish minority has the right to take education in its native
language according to the Treaty of Lausanne, we in particular urge the Greek State
abolish the discriminatory clauses of the new Preschool law that anticipates the Greek
language is a must in preschool education.
The concerning resolution is available at:
http://www.fuen.org/pdfs/20080524ResolutionsEN.pdf
