ABTTF President: “The launch of an investigation after 7 months of the democratic march organised by the Xanthi Turkish Union, which has been struggling for 39 years, is a clear continuation of our country’s policies of intimidation and suppression of the Turkish community in Western Thrace. As ABTTF, we will continue to support the Xanthi Turkish Union within the framework of the law as it has done so far in its struggle for rights.”
The Prosecutor’s Office of Xanthi launched an investigation seven months later into a march organised on 10 July 2021 to protest the failure of the execution by Greece of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment in favour of the Xanthi Turkish Union (XTU), the oldest and first association of the Turkish community in Western Thrace.
As part of the investigation, XTU President Ozan Ahmetoğlu was called to testify about the march at the Xanthi Police Station on Wednesday (9 February).
“The launch of an investigation after 7 months of the democratic march organised by the Xanthi Turkish Union, which has been struggling for 39 years, is a clear continuation of our country’s policies of intimidation and suppression of the Turkish community in Western Thrace. The march, in which I personally participated in representing ABTTF and fully supported with all institutions of our community, took place completely peacefully and in accordance with the rules of law. As claimed in the investigation, the allegation that provocative speeches were made against our country and spread false news is absolutely incompatible with the facts. For 14 years, our country has been politicising a legal issue by not executing the ECtHR judgments regarding the Western Thrace Turkish associations that are against it. As a result of this policy, the Court of Cassation has taken a political decision as regards the restoration of the legal status of the Xanthi Turkish Union, disregard of the principles of democracy and the rule of law. As ABTTF, we will continue to support the Xanthi Turkish Union within the framework of the law as it has done so far in its struggle for rights. We call upon our country to immediately execute the ECtHR judgments regarding our associations by reminding them of their obligations under international law”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
