ABTTF President: “Kakoulidis, whom is someone from our region, harms the peaceful coexistence culture in our region by portraying it as if there is an issue. First of all, Kakoulidis should act responsibly as the head of a non-governmental organisation, and should encourage friendship and brotherhood in our region, not othering, in his statements’’.
Michalis Kakoulidis, President of the Rodopi Province Thriloriyo (Kafkasköy) Pontian Sports Union, announced that he will initiate legal action to withdraw the court’s approval of the Western Thrace Fenerbahçe Association, which was officially established in Komotini on 11 October 2022, due to the expression ‘‘Western Thrace’’ in its name.
According to news reports in the Greek press, Kakoulidis indicated that it is unacceptable to allow an association bearing the words “Western Thrace” and noted that he would file a complaint with the court and request the annulment of the decision.
“Sport rejects prejudices and has a unifying feature. This attitude of Kakoulidis, a person directly involved in sports, towards an officially established association which had completed all legal procedures is totally against these beautiful features of sports. Kakoulidis, whom is someone from our region, harms the peaceful coexistence culture in our region by portraying it as if there is an issue. Moreover, Kakoulidis contradicts himself because there is no region called ‘Pontus’ in the name of the association he chairs in our country Greece. Kakoulidis also threatened the judge, who is a civil servant, in his statement, saying that, ‘anyone who signs the approval of this sports club should be removed from Komotini immediately’. First of all, Kakoulidis should act responsibly as the head of a non-governmental organisation, and should encourage friendship and brotherhood in our region, not othering, in his statements’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
