ABTTF President: ‘‘Our country, which is once again playing for time, has gained more time with this latest decision by the Committee of Ministers. However, the reality is that the aggrievement of our associations has continued for nearly 18 years, and our community’s freedom of association has been violated’’.
At its latest meeting in Strasbourg, France, on 2-4 December 2025, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe examined the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases concerning Greece’s violation of the freedom of association of the Turkish community in Western Thrace.
In its decision dated 4 December, the Committee of Ministers reiterated the fundamental importance of freedom of association in a democratic state, recalling that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments on the Xanthi Turkish Union, the Cultural Association of Turkish Women of the Prefecture of Rodopi and the Evros Prefecture Minority Youth Association in this group of cases concern the violations of freedom of association.
Noting that approximately 18 years have passed since the aforementioned ECtHR judgments were issued, the Committee of Ministers criticised Greece for failing to restore the status quo ante (restitutio in integrum) to the applicant associations, despite Greece’s adoption in 2017 of the legislative amendments enabling the reopening of the impugned proceedings and despite the associations having exhausted all domestic legal remedies.
The Committee of Ministers, in its ruling on the Sagir and Others case concerning the Cultural Association of Turkish Women of the Prefecture of Xanthi, which became final on 25 September 2025, reminded that the ECtHR had ruled that the local courts’ refusal to register the association on grounds that its name was misleading was not justified. It expressed hope that the local courts would consider any request for reopening from the association.
Noting that it welcomed the decision to amend the Civil Code following the examination of the recommendations in the report of the Committee of Experts established by the Greek authorities, the Committee of Ministers encouraged the Greek authorities to proceed without delay with the drafting and adoption of the amendments to the Civil Code by Parliament.
The Committee of Ministers decided to continue examining the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases at its meeting in June 2026 to review the progress made.
‘‘Our country Greece, which politicises the ECtHR judgments in the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases and has no intention of executing them, continues to take steps to prolong the process today, as it did yesterday. The promised amendment to the Civil Code is yet another step aimed at prolonging the process before the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Moreover, it is unclear whether the relevant legislative amendment will lead to the execution of the ECtHR judgments concerning our associations. Our country, which is once again playing for time, has gained more time with this latest decision by the Committee of Ministers. However, the reality is that the aggrievement of our associations has continued for nearly 18 years, and our community’s freedom of association has been violated’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
Please click below to access the relevant decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe: https://search.coe.int/cm#{%22CoEIdentifier%22:[%2209125948802992af%22],%22sort%22:[%22CoEValidationDate%20Descending%22]}.
