EUROPEADA 2012 STARTED

Western Thrace Turks Team represents the Turkish Minority during the European Championships

The national minorities living in Europe gathered at “EUROPEADA 2012”, which is FUEN 2nd European Football Championship, organized by Domowina, the Federation of Lusatian Sorbs, member of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN). 20 Teams from 13 countries admitted to the tournament of the second EUROPEADA of FUEN. Following the grand opening celebration on Saturday, the championship started with the first match on Sunday.

During the Championship, the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace is being represented by the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) and Xanthi Turkish Union (İTB), and the name of the teams is “Western Thrace Turks”. The representing delegation is consisting of ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu, Vice President Nazmi Sali, Secretary-General Özkan Reşit; ABTTF’s Management Board Member Responsible for Sports Activities İbrahim Selamioğlu and Young ABTTF Spokesman and Youth of European Nationalities(YEN) Policy Comissioner Fatma Reşit, Xanthi Turkish Union (İTB) Sports Coordinator Hüseyin Mehmet Usta, İTB Youth Representative Serdar Hilmioğlu.

The grand opening ceremony

On Saturday 16th June, the Saxony’s Prime Minister Stanislaw Tillich, who himself is also a Sorb, welcomed the participants of EUROPEADA 2012 at the reception. ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu attended the reception on behalf of The Western Thrace Turks team together with the Vice President Nazmi Sali, Secretary-General Özkan Reşit, Young ABTTF Spokesman and YEN Policy Comissioner Fatma Reşit, Xanthi Turkish Union (İTB) Sports Coordinator Hüseyin Mehmet Usta and İTB Youth Representative Serdar Hilmioğlu. In his speech, FUEN President Hans Heinrich Hansen alson mentioned the problems of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace in Greece.

At the opening event in Nebelschütz/Njebjelčicy, all the teams came out to the field. Approxi-mately 360 persons appeared at the field and presented their teams. When the name of the Western Thrace Turks Team was announced, whole stadium heard the song ‘My Western Thrace’.