Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) President Halit Habip Oğlu paid a working visit to Brussels, the capital of the European Union (EU) on 18 February 2025.
Habip Oğlu, accompanied by Deniz Servantie from ABTTF Brussels Office, met with MEPs from the European Parliament (EP) Iuliu Winkler (EPP, Romania) from the Hungarian minority in Romania and İlhan Kyuchyuk (Renew Europe, Bulgaria) from the Bulgarian Turks.
The current issues of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and the rights violations it is subjected to were conveyed
Habip Oğlu conveyed the current issues of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and the recent important events in Western Thrace and Greece during his meetings with the MEPs dealing with minority and human rights issues.
Habip Oğlu indicated that the European Commission, EP and leading international non-governmental organisations drew attention to the systematic violation of the rule of law in Greece and noted that Greece has persistently failed to execute the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) concerning the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases involving Western Thrace Turkish associations for 17 years despite all the warnings and calls of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
Habip Oğlu further noted that the Turkish community in Western Thrace is subjected to hate speech, stigmatisation and marginalisation in politics and mainstream media in Greece and noted that MPs and prominent representatives of the Turkish community in the Greek parliament are targeted.
Habip Oğlu informed the MEPs about the issues faced by the children belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace in accessing quality education and in this context, touched upon the building issue at the Xanthi Turkish Minority Secondary and High School which has been going on for years and the demand of the Turkish community for a new building; moreover, Habip Oğlu explained that although the Turkish community has been granted educational autonomy, Turkish primary schools in Western Thrace with autonomous status continue to be closed by the state under the pretext of lack of pupils and that as a result of this, the number of Turkish primary schools, which was 188 in 2011, has decreased to 86 today.
During the meetings, there were also opportunities to exchange views on the joint work that can be done at the EP and future cooperation in this regard.
