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Nasty statements before the upcoming elections

15.03.2023

ABTTF President: “Ramadan is sacred for the Islamic world, and it continues to be kept alive for the Turkish community in Western Thrace as a religious and cultural tradition with iftars and other events. Just as important religious days of other well-known religions in our country are respected and even celebrated by others, the same respect and tolerance should prevail towards the Turkish community in Western Thrace. There is no situation here which contradicts the political ideologies of the parties, and that cannot be the case.”

In her article published on Komotinipress.com on 13 March 2023, Stavroula Markou, Member of the Coordination Secretariat of SYRIZA Rodopi Provincial Organisation, referred to the photo of Sibel Mustafaoğlu, PASOK-KINAL Rodopi Provincial Deputy Candidate, with Eid timetable and headscarf printed on the occasion of the upcoming Ramadan, claiming that the appearance of Rodopi Province candidates in the upcoming elections in Greece is a source for concern. 

Markou indicated that the images of the candidates belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace contrasts with the history, ideology and statements of the political parties with respect to women’s rights, equality, separation of church and state, the abolition of the Sharia provisions, which is the traditional Islamic law, and other issues. Markou noted that the political parties remained silent in face of this situation, which she found alarming, and added that this situation was also dangerous for peaceful coexistence in the region by creating a ‘‘divisive climate’’.

“Allegations that the photos of the candidates nominated from the majority parties belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace before the upcoming elections in our country, in which they wore the headscarf due to the holy month of Ramadan in religions events they had attended in the past contrasts with the ideologies of the political parties or the principle of peaceful coexistence in the region is nasty. Indeed, Ramadan is sacred for the Islamic world, and it continues to be kept alive for the Turkish community in Western Thrace as a religious and cultural tradition with iftars and other events. Just as important religious days of other well-known religions in our country are respected and even celebrated by others, the same respect and tolerance should prevail towards the Turkish community in Western Thrace. There is no situation here which contradicts the political ideologies of the parties, and that cannot be the case. Markou, who lives in Rodopi, knows the people in our region very well, and she must be well aware of the religious and cultural importance of Ramadan for our community. It is meaningless to put forward unrealistic claims instead of dealing with the current problems of the Turkish community in Western Thrace. In fact, such nasty and unrealistic statements create a divisive climate in the region”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF). 


 

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