FUEN submitted written statement on problems of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace to UN Human Rights Council

Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN), as a non-governmental organization in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, has for the first time submitted a written statement to the UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC). Within its first written statement to UN HRC, FUEN called for the attention of the international arena to the prob-lems of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace and asked Greece to comply with its obligations under the Lausanne Treaty, to which Greece is an undersigning party. FUEN called on Greece, with reference to the Greek EU Presidency, to initiate a dialogue mechanism during this period with the Minority representatives regarding the solution of problems and include the Minority to decision-making process in settlement of problems which are relevant with the Minority.

In follow up with its three successive visits to Western Thrace in 2012 and 2013, FUEN draw attention on main problems of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace

Having reported its observations depending on consultations with representatives of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, civil society organizations and religious leaders during the three visits to the region in 2012 and 2013, FUEN indicated the main problems Turkish Minority of Western Thrace face in terms of self-identification, freedom of association, education and religious freedom.

FUEN pointed out the problems regarding bilingual minority kindergartens and “240 Imams Law” in terms of education and religious freedom and asked Greece, which runs the EU Presidency for the fifth time, to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Frame-work Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

Having underlined that the protection of persons belonging to minorities through Treaty of Lisbon and the Charter of Fundamental Rights is an essential part of the EU legislation, FUEN asked the Greek Presidency of the EU to ratify European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

You can access respective written statement through the following link:
http://daccess-ods.un.org/TMP/5363816.61891937.html