Written Statement by ABTTF to the UN about the issue of associations

The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe submitted a written statement entitled, “The pending question of the freedom of association of the Turkish community in Western Thrace, Greece and non-execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights” to the 37th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held on 26 February-23 March 2018, in Geneva, Switzerland. In its statement, ABTTF noted that associations with the word “Turkish” in their names were dissolved and new associations were not registered despite the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights that convicted Greece for the violation of the freedom of association of Western Thrace Turkish community.

Greek government telling that “There are no Turks in Greece”, dissolved Turkish associations with the word “Turkish” in its names

ABTTF noted that Xanthi Turkish Union was established in 1927 as the first association in Western Thrace, afterwards Komotini Turkish Youth Union in 1928 and in 1936 Western Thrace Turkish Teachers’ Union were established. ABTTF underlined that associations and minority schools with the word “Turkish” in their names had Turkish and Greek signboards in the region in the past. ABTTF further noted that the Greek government which claimed that “There are no Turks in Greece” removed signboards of three Turkish associations in 1983, and the local courts dissolved these three associations on the ground that they acted against the public order and constituted a threat to democratic society.

ABTTF: Greece insists on not to execute of ECtHR’s judgments

ABTTF stated that Xanthi Turkish Union rejected the decision of the local court and applied to European Court of Human Rights in 2005 as a result of legal struggle which lasted more than twenty years. ABTTF added that Cultural Association of Turkish Woman in the Prefecture of Rodopi and Evros Minority Youth Association followed Xanthi Turkish Union and applied to the ECtHR for non-registration of their associations due to the word “Turkish” in their names. ABTTF explained that the European court found the three associations justified and convicted Greece and further noted that Greece, however, does not execute the judgments of the ECtHR despite the more than ten years have passed since the decision of the court.

ABTTF pointed out that Greece adopted a new legal framework in October 2017 in order to remove legal obstacles for the execution of the ECtHR’s judgments and noted that new restrictions, however, were added in order to hinder execution of judgments of the ECtHR. The new regulation which notes that new associations to be established should ‘not pose a threat against security of the state’ and should ‘not breach international agreements”, national security and public security restrictions were introduced with the new regulation. ABTTF underlined that the main objective of this regulation is, in fact, not to register associations with the word “Turkish” in their names. ABTTF reported that following adoption of the new regulation, Xanthi Turkish Union applied to the local court with the request for the cancellation of the decision of the Thrace Court of Appeal which ordered the dissolution of the association in 2002 and return of its legal entity. ABTTF informed that the Thrace Court of Appeal had heard Xanthi Turkish Union on 9 February 2018 and conveyed that Cultural Association of Turkish Woman in the Prefecture of Rodopi and Evros Minority Youth Association will apply to the court. ABTTF asked Greek authorities to return Western Thrace Turks the right to freedom of association and execute the judgements of the ECtHR.

You may access the written statement of ABTTF to the UN Human Rights Council on the link https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G18/042/57/PDF/G1804257.pdf?OpenElement.