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Western Thrace Turkish delegation attended 3rd Thematic Seminar of FUEN TAG

27.09.2021

The Western Thrace Turkish delegation, consisting of representatives of ABTTF and WTMUGA expressed the violations of the freedom of association of the Western Thrace Turkish community in Western Thrace and problems in the field of education

The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF and the Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA) representing the Turkish community in Western Thrace attended the 3rd Thematic Seminar of the Working Group of Turkic Minorities/Communities (TAG) in the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) which was held online on 24 September 2021. 

The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) and the Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA) representing the Turkish community in Western Thrace, the Rhodes Kos and the Dodecanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association (ROISDER) representing Rhodes and Kos Turks, the Public Organisation of Meskhetian Turks “VATAN” and the Public Union Of Meskhetian (Ahıska) Turks living In Azerbaijan “VATAN” representing Meskhetian Turks and the Tatar Democratic Union representing the Romanian Tatars all attended the online seminar which brought together Turkic minorities and communities within the online platform.

The seminar began with a greeting speech by FUEN Vice-President and FUEN TAG Spokesman Halit Habip Oğlu. Habip Oğlu informed about the developments related to FUEN and FUEN TAG since the second thematic seminar in June 2021 and the activities carried out by FUEN.

Following the greeting speech, President of the Tatar Democratic Union Naim Belgin, the new distinguished member of FUEN, briefed on the activities of the Tatar Community in Romania and the Tatar Democratic Union, which was established in 2008.

On behalf of the Public Organisation of Meskhetian Turks “VATAN ", Head of Foreign Relations and Researcher Ansar Usmanov, delivered a presentation on the history and culture of Meskhetian Turks, the theme of the seminar, and their struggle to return to their ancestral lands in Georgia. Usmanov stated that the Meskhetian Turks, whose ancestral lands are located in the south of Georgia, were exiled by Soviet Leader Stalin on 14 November 1944 and added that the Russian Public Organisation of Meskhetian Turks ‘VATAN’ representing Meskhetian Turks and the Public Union of Meskhetian Turks living In Azerbaijan ‘VATAN’ are actively working both in Russia and Azerbaijan, where they are based, and on international platforms for the return of Meskhetian Turks to their ancestral lands.

In the second part of the seminar, the participating organisations conveyed the developments related to the Turkic minorities and communities they represent and their current problems. On behalf of the Western Thrace Turkish delegation, WTMUGA Secretary-General Meltem Giritli stated that the Greek Court of Cassation rejected the appeal for the return of the official legal status of the Xanthi Turkish Union with its decision of 29 June 2021 and indicated that Greece does not allow associations bearing the word ‘Turkish’ in its name   as a result of a policy of denial of the ethnic Turkish identity of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and has still not executed the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments with respect to the  Western Thrace Turkish associations for the past 13 years. Giritli also stated that in the 2021-2022 school year, 12 more Turkish primary schools belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace were closed due to insufficient student numbers, and that the number of Turkish primary schools in Western Thrace decreased to 103.

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