ABTTF President: “This insidious policy of the state aims at children belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace to lose their identity by preventing them from learning their mother tongue Turkish and to be assimilated. Secretary-General Kalantzis is in the position of having practiced this insidious policy for years”.
Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs Secretary General George Kalantzis targeted the Turkish community in Western Thrace in the latest statement he made.
According to news from Millet newspaper, during his visit to Western Thrace last week when he spoke to Radio Xronos, Kalantzis alleged that the majority of Western Thrace Turks he described as Muslim citizens do not know well Greek. Arguing that the main issue in Thrace with Muslim citizens is that of the language, Kalantzis said that it is an important parameter for this situation to be resolved.
Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) made the following statement: “With this latest statement, Secretary-General George Kalantzis once again revealed the state’s policy of no goodwill towards Western Thrace Turks. The Turkish community in Western Thrace which enjoys educational autonomy through the Lausanne Peace Treaty, has been demanding for years the opening of bilingual minority kindergartens which would provide education in Turkish and in Greek. However, despite the change of governments, our demand has always been left unanswered till this day. On the other hand, our bilingual autonomous schools are closed one by one every year. This insidious policy of the state aims at children belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace to lose their identity by preventing them from learning their mother tongue Turkish and to be assimilated. Secretary-General Kalantzis is in the position of having practiced this insidious policy for years. As the Turkish community in Western Thrace, we call on our country Greece to fulfil our demand for the opening of bilingual minority kindergartens and to refrain from any state intervention that would harm our educational autonomy”.
