Contradictory moves from Greek Parliamentarians

Antonis Trakatellis, Greece European Parliamentarian, submitted a censure motion to the European Parliament, asking the reason why the European Commission does not warn Turkey despite the fact that Turkey violates rights of patriarchate.

Additionally, Trakatellis asked the Council whether suspending membership negotiations was on the agenda until Turkey guarantees to respect basic rights and freedoms.

With this censure motion, once again, Greek Parliamentarians reflect their deep contradiction regarding the rights of Western Thrace Turkish minority members. Such a censure motion about an EU candidate country was rather evaluated specious.

Despite the fact that Greece is an EU member country since 1981, today there are serious basic human rights violations in the country. Greek authorities do not recognize elected Muftis, religious leaders, of Western Thrace Turkish minority, although minority members have the right to elect their own religious leaders under the framework of Treaty of Lausanne, but rather appoint government-selected Muftis.

Greece, not recognizing Turkish identity in Western Thrace, banned Turkish Associations with Turkish names in 80’s. While law struggle of these associations continue at European Court of Human Rights, Greece made one step further and does not allow establishment of minority associations that have “minority” phrase in their names. It created question marks when a Greek Parliamentarian having such human rights violations in his home country submitted such a censure motion about another country.

We invite our country to be sincere about basic rights and freedoms…

Upon the censure motion submitted by Trakatellis, Halit Habipoglu, chairman of Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe, said that Greek Parliamentarians had to recognize human rights violations in their home country before they made comment about other countries. “A Greek Parliamentarian has the responsibility to stop basic rights and freedoms violations in his home country. Greek government does not even recognize our elected Muftis and appoints their own Muftis. Of course, we hope for justice in all counties, yet as long as these unfair implementations continue in a 26 years long EU member country, it is not a decent behaviour to give a censure motion about another country. “