Western Thrace Turks at the expert meeting on hate crimes on the Internet

On 22 March 2010, the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) attended the Expert Meeting entitled “Incitement to Hatred vs. Freedom of Expression: Challenges of combating hate crimes motivated by hate on the Internet”, which was organized by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Representing the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, Fatma Reşit and Ercüment Mustafaoğlu, members of the ABTTF International Affairs and Lobbying Group, and Pervin Hayrullah, member of the Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (BTAYTD), participated in the meeting.

During the session on legal framework and practical challenges in investigating and prosecuting Internet inspired hate crimes, Yorgo Voulgaris, who serves as prosecutor at the Greek Ministry of Justice, claimed with regard to the Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association that neither such a university nor such an association did exist. As a response to the Voulgaris’ threat to leave the meeting, the moderator explained that he should just feel free to do if he wanted to. With regard to the session, ABTTF emphasized that the Law 927/1979 was specifically against discriminatory remarks on the basis of race, ethnic and origin. However, the regarding law had been amended three times, still concerning was the fact that despite its speciality, it had not been applied until today. In addition, ABTTF also noted that the question whether there were laws in Greek legal system, which might be relevant for hate communication to protect human dignity, was negative. Moreover, with regard to the spread of hate crimes through the Internet, BTAYTD gave the example of the internet newspaper www.stohos.gr, which published hate speech targeting the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace. At the end of the meeting, ABTTF underlined the importance of data collection, and reaffirmed that OSCE Member States should investigate and full prosecute any act and/or threat of violence motivated by hate on the Internet, while ensuring that the Internet remained an open and public forum for freedom of opinion and expression for all individuals and groups, including minority and/or youth organizations.

At the end of the meeting, prosecutor Yorgo Voulgaris presented his disturbance of the hold speeches by stating the following: “If the issue of minorities is spoken at this meeting, I will also call a few minorities to the next one. Because you know what I mean.” After his speech, the Permanent Mission of Greece to OSCE asked ABTTF and BTAYTD to leave the meeting by expressing the disturbance it felt through the attendance of the two organizations.

With regard to the meeting, Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), stated the following: “ABTTF was founded in 1988 in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany and is independent from political parties, government authorities and any government. ABTTF is a non-governmental organization in Special Consultative Status of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. And until yesterday, BTAYTD has been the only legal non-governmental organization in Western Thrace, representing the Turkish minority in the region. Our country Greece needs to create a policy, befitting to the honour of the country, guaranteeing an honest and principled, effective and full use of the rights, according to a multicultural society.”