ABTTF President: “As it is understood, the inter-party Commission for the Development of Thrace which was established in the Greek Parliament in July 2020 is only a commission for the producers belonging to the majority living in the region. Indeed, if the Commission had good intentions, it would surely have considered our proposal for the examination of the economic development model and programme of the South Tyrol region of Italy in order to establish a special economic development model for Western Thrace.”
In Greece, the Government of the New Democracy Party announced that Virginia type tobacco producers would be subsidized under the “De Minimis” programme, citing the loss of revenue during the pandemic period, while basma tobacco producers belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace were excluded from the programme.
“Since it came to power, the Government of the New Democracy Party has ignored us and continues to implement discriminatory policies against the Turkish community in Western Thrace. It is blatantly discriminatory and unacceptable that the government subsidizes the tobacco produced by the farmers belonging to the majority but does not provide subsidies to the tobacco we produce. The government recently signed off on another discrimination by excluding the Western Thrace Turkish minority press from its financial support to media organisations as part of its campaign to inform citizens about the coronavirus pandemic. As it is understood, the inter-party Commission for the Development of Thrace which was established in the Greek Parliament in July 2020 is only a commission for the producers belonging to the majority living in the region. Indeed, if the Commission had good intentions, it would surely have considered our proposal for the examination of the economic development model and programme of the South Tyrol region of Italy in order to establish a special economic development model for Western Thrace. We call on the government to immediately end this blatant discrimination by including our basma tobacco producers who are experiencing great economic difficulties during the coronavirus pandemic, as part of the financial support programme”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
