ABTTF President: “We strongly condemn the deliberate targeting of our mayor with unfounded and false news, and we want the provocative propaganda aimed at putting pressure on representatives of the Turkish community in Western Thrace in our country Greece to end at once.”
The Mayor of Myki (Mustafçova) Rıdvan Delihüseyin who is a member of the Turkish community in Western Thrace living in Greece was targeted by the Greek press for a statement he did not make.
According to the Millet newspaper, it is being alleged in the article written by the journalist Kostas Karaiskos on the news website tourkikanea.gr that the Mayor Delihüseyin said that the soldiers who were in a military exercise in the village of Glafki (Gökçepınar) opened fire, adding that he was spreading false news and that he was endangering the international relations of the country. Furthermore, it is stated in the article that an investigation needs to be launched against the Mayor Delihüseyin and that the reliability of the state can be provided by the dismissal of Delihüseyin and by stripping him from the right to be elected.
The Mayor of Glafki (Mustafçova) Rıdvan Delihüseyin explained his statements regarding the military exrecise in the last days in the region had been distorted by the two news organ, Turkika nea and Maxitis which are known to be opposed to the Turkish community in Western Thrace and that he was targeted as a result. The Mayor Delihüseyin indicated numerous journalists from the local, national and Turkish press called him, and he informed them about the military exercise, adding that he gave absolutely no statement with respect to the soldiers opening fire during the military exercise.
The Independent Turkish website, which published statements attributed to the Mayor Delihüseyin which are untrue, also removed theese statements.
“We strongly condemn the deliberate targeting of our mayor Rıdvan Delihüseyin with unfounded and false news. The Western Thrace Turks, who have been living in peace for centuries with the majority in Greece, are constantly portrayed as a ‘threat’ and ‘danger for the country in politics and the press and are subjected to systematic discrimination even though they are citizens of this country. Now our mayor wants to be intimidated by a statement he did not make. We request the provocative propaganda aimed at putting pressure on the representatives of the Turkish community in Western Thrace in our country to end at once and we call upon the Greek authorities to prevent such provocations which constitute a threat to peace and tranquillity within the community”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
*Image: www.milletgazetesi.gr
