ABTTF paid a study visit to Brussels

ABTTF President Halit Habip Oğlu discussed the problems of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace with MEPs Pál Csáky, Nedzhmi Ali and Ilhan Kyuchuk

The President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) Halit Habip Oğlu paid on November 13, 2014 a one-day study visit to Brussels to hold a series of talks. Accompanied by the officer at ABTTF Brussels Office, ABTTF President discussed during his visit the basic and current issues of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace with the members of European Parliament (EP) Pál Csáky (Slovakia/EPP-Christian Democrats), Nedzhmi Ali (Bulgaria/ALDE-Liberal Democrats) and Ilhan Kyuchuk (Bulgaria/ALDE-Liberal Democrats) and diplomat Dr. Krisztián Manzinger who is in charge of minority issues at the Permanent Representative of Hungary to the European Union (EU).

It was asked from MEPs their supports to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace in the EP

During the study visit, firstly it was met with MEP Pál Csáky (EPP-Christian Democrats) who belongs to the Hungarian minority in Slovakia in his office in the EP. ABTTF President Habip Oğlu informed Csáky, who was elected to EP from the Hungarian minority party in Slovakia, about the Turkish minority’s fundamental problems and recent developments in the region and exchanged views on joint efforts can be made for the Turkish minority within the Intergroup for Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages that is expected to be established during the new period under the umbrella of the EP as it was done in the past.

Then, ABTTF President Habip Oğlu met separately in their offices with the MEPs Nedzhmi Ali (ALDE-Liberal Democrats) and Ilhan Kyuchuk (ALDE-Liberal Democrats) who both belong to the Turkish minority in Bulgaria. Habip Oğlu firstly congratulated them on having been elected to the EP in 2014 and then he informed them about the basic and current problems of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace and asked for MEPs’ support for the joint activities in the EP and the minorities intergroup. Also, Habip Oğlu congratulated the two MEPs on the Rights and Freedoms Movement’s accomplishment in the last national elections in Bulgaria and gave them Turkish coffee from Western Thrace as a gift.

Problems of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace conveyed to the Hungarian diplomat

After completing talks with the MEPs, ABTTF President Habip Oğlu met with the diplomat Dr. Krisztián Manzinger who is responsible for minority issues at the Permanent Representative of Hungary to the EU. During the meeting, Manzinger having as a task area minority groups in Europe stated his wish to cooperate with ABTTF in order to learn more about the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace and see the whole picture. Moreover, ABTTF President Halit Habip Oğlu informed Manzinger by emphasizing the autonomous structure of the Turkish Minority Western Thrace in the fields of education and religion according to the 1923 Lausanne Peace Treaty but this autonomous structure has been damaged on purpose at different times by the Greek State due to various practices and today it doesn’t function in practice anymore and mufti and foundations problems are very good examples for this situation.