Greece still denies the existence of 120 thousand Turks living in Western Thrace

The supreme court (Areios Pagos) of Greece has confirmed a judgement passed in 1984, by which the Turkish Union of Xanthi (Ýskeçe) founded in 1927, had been prohibited because of the word “Turkish” in the name. This decision shows once again that international law and human rights are not recognized in Greece and that the existence of 120 thousand Turks living there is still denied. In all strictness we do condemn this judgement passed by the supreme court of Greece which obviously ignores even basic human rights.

According to article 1.1. of the declaration Nr. 47/135 passed by the United Nation on December 18th in 1992 „on the rights of persons who belong to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities“, “states have to protect the existence and the national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities on their state territory and guarantee the corresponding conditions for the support of this identity“. According to article 2.4. „the members of minorities have the right to found and maintain their own associations.“ Greece does not even accept the existence of the minorities of Turks, Macedonians, Albanians and Vlachs living in the country, much less they will be supported.

By this judgement the supreme court accepted the claim of the public prosecutor as explanation for the prohibition of the ‘Turkish Union of Xanthi’, that the association exists “for the benefit of another country ”, that it intends to „show that there is a Turkish minority in Greece“ and it tries to „create a so far not existing minority problem“ and „ to disturb law and order and peace and order of the civilisation of Western Thrace by the word ‚Turkish’ in the name.“ That means that 120 thousand Turks are accused just because of the fact that they declare themselves of their own free will to be “Turks”.

Thus they belong to the members of the same minority who is taught in the Turkish language as Greek citizens in minority schools existing in Greece since 1923. The same minority which learns Turkish by textbooks published by the Greek state, and which is taught by teachers educated by the Greek state!

The reporter of the supreme court Nikolaos Kasavetis stated in his report which he handed over to the court in September 2003, that people have the right to determine their identity on their own and that the supreme court must admit the use of designations like “Turkish Union” or “Turks of Western Thrace”.

On the one hand the supreme court states clearly that 120 thousand members of the minority are „Turks“. On the other hand it does not approve of a „Turkish“ identity and therefore prohibits the identity of 120 thousand members of the minority.

We request the Greek state to approve that people have a right to determine their identity as already stated by the reporter of the supreme court and to stop this disgraceful injustice of a country living in the 21st century.

We appeal to the Greek state to accept officially the Turks, Macedonians, Albanians, Vlachs, Catholics and all other minorities living in Greece and to grant them the rights they are entitled to by the European Union and by international law.

We call on all international institutions to encourage Greece to take steps leading in this direction and to put pressure on it.