ABTTF President: “Our country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dendias will hopefully visit the provinces of Rodopi and Xanthi in the future and meet with our elected leaders of our community, who make up the majority of the population in the province of Rodopi and almost half of the population in the province of Xanthi.”
Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias visited the province of Evros on 9-10 December 2021. Dendias met with the appointed deputy muftis of Xanthi, Komotini and Didymoteicho that are not recognised by the Turkish community in Western Thrace and also paid a visit to the Ali Sultan Dervish Convent (Ali Sultan Dergahı) in the village of Roussa (Ruşenler).
Dendias left the region during his visit to the region without meeting with the institutions and organisations that are the true representatives of the Turkish community in Western Thrace.
“As it is understood from the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the province of Evros, our country Greece has once again implemented its previous script for the Turkish community in Western Thrace. As it was the case during the visit of Dendias, the appointed deputy muftis that are state officials and not recognised by the Turkish community in Western Thrace were invited to the conference regarding the hate crimes against Muslims which was held in Kavala on 10 December. The rulers of our country meet with people who do not represent our community, and then they are presented to the public as if they represent our community. I hope that Dendias will hopefully visit the provinces of Rodopi and Xanthi in the future and meet with our elected leaders of our community, who make up the majority of the population in the province of Rodopi and almost half of the population in the province of Xanthi”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
