ABTTF’s parallel report to the USA 2014 Human Rights Country Report for Greece

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) prepared a parallel report to the USA 2014 Human Rights Country Report for Greece that was released on June 2015 by US Department of State. Having it submitted to the relevant USA authorities, ABTTF provided detailed information on the matters that were either missing or inadequately explained concerning Turkish Minority of Western Thrace in USA Report. ABTTF also brought forward the views of the minority in its re-port.

The associations are not allowed to use the word “Turk” in their names!

It is mentioned in the US Report that although there were many people identifying themselves as Turkish, it was forbidden for associations to use the words “Turk” or “Turkish” in their names. Adding to this statement, ABTTF mentioned the cases where 3 Turkish associations, namely Evros Minority Youth Association, Cultural Association of the Turkish Women of the Rhodope Prefecture and Turkish Association of Xanthi, were either closed down or not allowed to be established and their case were brought to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). ABTTF declared in its report that ECtHR had announced to rehear the cases under Bekir Ousta Group in the near future.

Minority’s direct political representation still remains a problem

In the US Report, it is affirmed that there are 3 representatives from “Muslim” minority in the Greek Parliament while there are no minority members within the government. ABTTF states in its report that Turkish Minority of Western Thrace is not able to send its representatives directly to the parliament because of the election threshold of %3 applied throughout the country for independent candidates. Therefore, all minority parliamentarians present in the Greek Parliament are elected from majority parties. ABTTF also indicates that the sole Turkish Party (Friendship, Equality, Peace Party – FEP) could not send any representatives to the European Parliament during EP elections in 2014 because of the country-wide election threshold of %3, although it became the biggest party in Rhodope and Xanthi prefectures.

Minority is not able to elect its own religious leaders despite of its autonomy

US Report says that Greek government recognises the Islamic Religious Law regarding family and civil law issues of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, thus those Muslims whose marriages are approved by appointed Mufti’s are subject to religious rules unless they want to bring their cases to state courts. It is also noted in the report that the National Human Rights Council had advised that the authorities of the appointed Mufti’s should be restricted to their religious tasks. ABTTF claims in its parallel report that Greek state unilaterally decided to appoint the Mufti’s on the basis that they have authorities of religious law and therefore deprived the Turkish Minority of the right to elect its own religious leaders. ABTTF insists that the sharia authorities of the appointed Mufti’s are based on 1913 Treaty of Athens and thus, the unilateral decision to abandon these competences is a clear violation of the Treaty of Athens.

Minority’s autonomy in education was severely damaged by the recent legislation

There are no references to the legislation approved by the Greek Parliament with the number 4310/2014 on 27 November 2014. In contrast, ABTTF declares in its report that this legislation prepared without any consultation to the Turkish Minority severely damaged the Minority’s auton-omy in education. Having been approved despite objections from the minority parliamentarians, ABTTF states that this legislation will not contribute to solve the existing problems in education, but will rather increase state control and authority over minority education.