ABTTF submitted a parallel report to the U.S. Human Rights Report on Greece

The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) prepared a parallel report to the U.S. Department of State Human Rights state report on Greece, and submitted it to the regarding authorities.

With regard to freedom of expression and speech, ABTTF expressed its concerns about the 3592/2007 numbered law and emphasized with regard to the radio FILIA’s(belonging to the Athens municipal radio) response to the decision of Tele Radio 104.2 FM of the National Radio and Television Council (ESR), that no decision of the ESR can be found. In addition, with regard to the freedom of expression and speech, ABTTF examined in detail the 2009 attacks on Abdülhalim Dede and Ibrahim Baltali.

About the issue of freedom of the Internet, ABTTF presented that the signature campaign on the website www.proxeneio-stop.com.gr, which prompts the closure of the Turkish Consulate General in Komotini, was targeting Turks of Western Thrace. In addition, with regard to the freedom of association, ABTTF informed about current ongoing legal procedures of the Xanthi Turkish Union and the Cultural Association of Turkish Women of the Region of Rodopi, and examined in detail, by presenting the cases of the South Evros Minority Cultural and Educational Association, that associations, containing the word “minority” in their names were not given permission for establishment,

Moreover, with regard to the freedom of religion, ABTTF examined as well the issue of the appointed imams law with samples, as the penalty issues, accuring for places of worship fue to the height of minarets. Under the topic of social crimes and discrimination, ABTTF presented besides the attacks on the Okcular mosque, on the neighbourhood of Cayüstü, on the Mehmet Hilmi fountain, on the Hürriyet mosque, attacks on Muslim graves in the villages of Müsellim and Celepli, also the issue of church building on the land of Vakf in Yanikköy.

About the issue of elections and political participation, ABTTF presented the issue of %3 electoral threshold (which also applies to the independent candidates) and application of enlarged electoral districts, and emphasized that the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace could only enter parliament as candidates of a majority party.

Under the topic of Women, by recalling that all decisions of the appointed Muftis need to be approved by a court of first instance, ABTTF examined that courts are equally responsible for cases. By noting that marriages hold by an imam or mufti in Western Thrace need to be reported to the population directorates, with regard to child marriage, ABTTF explained, that according to the Greek Civil Code, if there is not a unity of thought about the pursuit of marriage, those among these people would be invalid. By noting that there is not such a tradition of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace allowing marriages between minors under the age of 18 years, ABTTF expressed that appointed muftis did not allow the marriages of minors under the age of 15. Moreover, ABTTF noted in the report that the Shari’a law was an entirely optional law for members of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace. Also, by expressing that divorces only occur with the order of courts, additionally with regard to the topic of succession, ABTTF annotated that in 1986 the Supreme Court called the decision of the mufti giving 2/3 of succession to male as contradictory to the Constitution. In response to the report of the National Human Rights Commission, restricting the duties of the Mufti only to religious duties and advising to end the Shari’a law, ABTTF explained in detail that this had arisen from international agreements Greece is a party of, and therefore would present a future violation of obligations.

In the report, ABTTF presented that Muslims in the region were living in peace for years and noted that there was not such a possibility that communities, defining themselves as Pomaks, face any pressure or coercion through the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.

With regard to the subject matter, Halit Habipoglu, President of the ABTTF, stated the following: “The fact that legal aspects of the issue have never been mentioned, caused the incorrect and incomplete implementation of the issue in the report which states concerns about the implementation of Shari’a provisions. ABTTF has paid special attention to the issue of the Shari’a law in its parallel report and commented in detail the issues which were examined in the 2009 human rights report on Greece, and submitted detailed information.”