Polis raid to two branches of Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association

ABTTF President Halit Habip Oğlu: “The main reason of the raids conducted to WTMUGA is to hinder the minority children to learn our mother tongue Turkish.”

Two branches of Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA), which is one of the most important associations of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace in Greece, in Komotini have been subjected to raids by police and prosecutor on 21 April 2016. WTMUGA ex-plained in its written statement that the association’s activities beginning from 1982 until now in service of its members as well as the minority in general have apparently disturbed some segments. It was also mentioned that these segments had been trying to impede the WTMUGA activities that serve not only to the minority but to the majority as well for almost 10 years. WTMUGA added that the last example was seen on 21 April 2016 when the Centre A and Centre B branches in Komotini were searched by the public prosecutor accompanied by police on the ground that the association was illegally operating a nursery. The first hearing of the case in the court would be held on 13 May 2016. WTMUGA board of directors refused the accusations insisting that they had not done any-thing illegally up until now and that there were no nursery or kindergarten operated by WTMUGA. Board of directors stated that they would do everything judicially to protect the association’s interest and that they were determined to continue their struggle against this kind of groundless allegations which include the criminal cases against the board and the members.

ABTTF President Halit Habip Oğlu made the following statement on the issue: “Together with ABTTF, WTMUGA has been pursuing works on international platforms to contribute to the solu-tion of minority’s problems as well as activities aiming at meeting the social, economic and cultural needs of the minority thanks to the voluntary engagements of its members from different profes-sions. Among many others however, the activities of the association towards minority children disturb the Greek authorities and its branches are swooped by prosecutor accompanied by police forces. As you know the kindergarten education was made compulsory in Greece following the law that increased the compulsory education period from 9 to 10 years. We submitted applications to open bilingual kindergartens in Turkish and Greek in parallel to the fact that the minority has autonomy in education according to the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923. However there has been no answer to our demand so far. As a result, minority kids have to go to the state schools where the language of instruction is only in Greek. Our minority who is dreaming about having their own bi-lingual kindergartens have the opportunity to learn Turkish through activities of this association. With these latest raids on WTMUGA branches that have no legal basis, they would like to end these activities and prevent our children from learning their mother tongue Turkish.”

In order to read WTMUGA’s written statement:
http://www.btaytd.com/v2/view.php?lng=tr&id=158