ABTTF President: “The investigation initiated by the office of the prosecutor’ has once again made it clear that our country has disregarded its obligation to execute the ECtHR judgments regarding our associations since 2008. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe must now initiate the infringement procedure against our country in accordance with the relevant article of the European Convention on Human Rights without delay.”
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) informed the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe about the launch of an investigation 7 month after as regards the 10 July 2021 protest which was held with the objective of protesting the negative decision of the Court of Cassation in regard the to the Xanthi Turkish Union (XTU) along with the non-execution of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment by Greece and the failure to restore its official legal status.
In its letter, ABTTF indicated that it was shocking that an investigation was launched 7 months after the march against the President of the Xanthi Turkish Union and 12 leading representatives of the Turkish community in Western Thrace who participated in the march, adding that it was concerned that the repressive and intimidating actions of the Greek authorities would worsen the situation caused by the failure to execute the ECtHR judgment on the Xanthi Turkish Union.
“As ABTTF, we have written to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe informing them of the details as regards an investigation that has been launched by the prosecutor 7 months after as regards the democratic protest organised by our association the Xanthi Turkish Union. The investigation is clearly aimed at intimidating prominent names of our community in the region and chiefly the president of the Xanthi Turkish Union which is part of the Bekir-Ousta and Others Group of Cases which is comprised of associations of the Turkish community in Western Thrace. The march, which I personally participated in, was organised with legal permission from the relevant authorities and in accordance with Covid-19 measures. No name included in the investigation in this peaceful march gave any speeches that could constitute the spread of false information and a call for disobedience, and throughout the entire march, all participants called on our country’s authorities to fully execute the ECtHR judgments concerning our associations alone. The investigation initiated by the office of the prosecutor has once again made it clear that our country has disregarded its obligation to execute the ECtHR judgments regarding our associations since 2008. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe must now initiate the infringement procedure against our country in accordance with the relevant article of the European Convention on Human Rights without delay”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
*Image: www.coe.int
