Reply to ABTTF’s study on the law of media

ABTTF’s study on the 3592/2007 Greek law about the law of media was replied. On 7 January 2010, ABTTF presented its study on the mentioned law of media, in which the Greek Na-tional Radio and Television Council (ESR) precautionary recommended Tele Radio 104.2 FM to broadcast 25 percent in Greek language, to international institutions and organizations. The re-sponse letters from 10 February 2010, emphasize that ABTTF’s study was taken into considera-tion and has been forwarded to authorized sub-organizations and institutions.

The response, sent by former Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, Lluís Maria de Puig i Olive, contains the information that the issue of freedom of association of the Turkish minority of Western Thrace, from 17 December 2009, and the issue related to the law of media from 7 January 2010, were forwarded to the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights. Moreover, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, emphasizes that he has forwarded the study to the Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs, by expressing that he has noted the issues that have been presented in ABTTF´s study, so that it will be dealt with the issue within the jurisdiction of the General Directorate.

Furthermore, in the response letter, sent by the European Commission against Racism and Intol-erance (ECRI), the Commission notes that the concerns of ECRI about the implementation of the mentioned law, which were also expressed in the ABTTF study, were presented in the 2009 Greece Country Report. The Commission also expresses in the response letter its recommenda-tion towards Greece in the report, to review the mentioned issue with regard to media pluralism and the issue of free movement of information, by taking international standards into account. Moreover, the Commission expresses that they have noted their concerns about the impact of the mentioned law on small- scale regional and minority media, as presented in the ABTTF study. ECRI also expresses that the ABTTF letter will be archived as a constant observation of racism and racial discrimination in Greece, as soon as the recommendations of the Commission are implemented.

With regard to the issue, Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), stated the following: “Via letter, ABTTF is informing international organi-zations and institutions about issues, related to the problems of the Western Thrace Turkish mi-nority. The study about the law of media is an example of studies conducted in this context. It is a positive step for us, that letters are responded with the expression, that the subject is forwarded to relevant sub-organizations. ABTTF will continue its studies in this direction and will work, so that different problems will be taken into account by the international community.”