ABTTF reported on hate-motivated violence against the Turkish minority of Western Thrace to OSCE

The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) submitted data on hate crimes and violence against the Turkish minority of Western Thrace living in Greece to the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

ABTTF mentions in its report the hate-motivated attacks against the persons, organizations and places of worship belonging to the Turkish minority of Western Thrace that took place in 2015 and in the first four months of 2016. Accordingly, ABTTF reports on the arson attack on the Mahmut Aga Mosque on 17 April 2015, the attack on the Alankuyu masjid (small mosque) on the same day as well as the attack on the New Mosque (Yeni Cami) on 10 October 2015, which are all situated in the city of Komotini. ABTTF also refers in its report to the attack on the new headquarters of the Friendship, Equality and Peace (FEP) Party, the political party of the Turkish minority, on 8 December 2015 in Komotini and the attack by the masked members of the so-called “Guardians of Thrace” on the Imam Hüseyin Cihan working at the Office of the Elected Mufti of Xanthi as he was visiting the Elected Mufti Ahmet Mete’s house on 28 January 2016.

Within the framework of the 2015 Hate Crime Data, the ODIHR had invited the civil society groups to contribute to its reporting, too. The ODIHR presents in the hate crime data it prepares every year the data submitted by the governments, international organizations and civil society groups on hate crime and violence in the 57 OSCE participating States. The 2015 Hate Crime Data will be published on 16 November 2016, on the International Day of Tolerance.