Halit Habip Oğlu: “We severely condemn this heinous attack made to our cemetery, as the Turkish community in Western Thrace, we are not deceived by such provocations which has got several examples from the past and we want it is known that we will continue our rightful struggle within the scope of democracy and principles of the universal law till the end.”
On 28 May 2019, an attack was carried out by unknown assailant or assailants to the Turkish cemetery in Alexandropolis, one of the three cities in Greece where the Turkish community Western Thrace has been dwelling. Tombstones were damaged during the attack in which the perpetrators are considered to be the sympathizers of extreme rightist Golden Dawn Party. The assailants broke some of the tombstones and drew the logo of the Golden Dawn Party on the tombstones with spray paint and wrote “Stohos” the name of a group known to be a turcophobe. Besides, assailants left a following statement “Greece belongs to Greeks” with the logo of the Golden Dawn Party.
Regarding the attack Halit Habip Oğlu, President of Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) made the following statement “As ABTTF, representative of Western Thrace Turks living in Europe, we severely condemn the heinous attack made to the Turkish cemetery in Alexandroupolis. It is not possible that we accept this attack which is hatred based, racist and has turcophobic motives and where the tombstones were damaged. Assailants have pointed the Turkish community in Western Thrace as a target and wanted to create intimidation. It is very thought-provoking that the attack has taken place following the victory of the Friendship, Equality, Peace Party which has received the majority of the votes in the provinces of Rodopi and Xanthi at the European Parliament elections held on 26 May in Greece and this attack had an intention of provocation. We ask the perpetrators to be identified by the police at the soonest and brought to trial. As the Turkish community in Western Thrace, we should not be deceived by such provocations which has got several examples from the past, we should stay calm and continue our rightful struggle within the scope of democracy and principles of the universal law.”
