ABTTF President: “While Albania, which is not yet a member of the European Union, accepts and recognises the Greek minority living on its territory with its ethnic identity, we are described as a ‘‘Muslim’’ minority and our identity is denied in our country, which is an old member of the European Union, claiming to be the cradle of democracy at every opportunity. No matter how much our country denies it, we, who have lived in these lands for centuries, are ‘‘Turks’’ and we do not wish to be used as a tool for election propaganda over our identity and rights’’.
Our country Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Xanthi on 27 April 2023. In his speech at the pre-election meeting of the New Democracy Party (NDP), Mitsotakis also touched upon the Turkish community in Western Thrace and our country’s relations with our motherland Türkiye.
Claiming that (Western) Thrace is a region where citizens of different cultures live in harmony and peace, and that they have an understanding of equality before the law at home and international law and good neighbourly relations abroad, Mitsotakis indicated that relations should not become a source of tension in the election race, and should not be poisoned by legends about the religious minority in (Western) Thrace.
Noting in his speech that our country was among the first countries to rush to help our motherland in face of the earthquake disaster, Mitsotakis explained that he wanted to emphasise once again from Xanthi that the other side of the Aegean should be careful about the words they use and be sincere in their intentions, and that they respond preparedly to all kinds of aggression.
President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) Halit Habip Oğlu made the following statement: “In his election speech in Xanthi, Prime Minister Mitsotakis continued the denial of our community’s Turkish identity and repeated what he had said before. As if this were not enough, it is unacceptable for our Prime Minister to present our motherland’s claim to us, whose identity is denied and whose rights have been usurped, as material and propaganda for the elections, and to portray our identity and minority rights as a ‘‘legend’’. Our country defines the minority living in Albania as the Greek minority, not the Orthodox Christian, and supports them. This is quite natural. In fact, our Prime Minister was greeted with Greek flags by the Greek minority living there during his visit to the south of Albania. However, Albania, which is not yet a member of the European Union, accepts and recognises the Greek minority living on its territory with its ethnic identity, while in our country, which is an old member of the European Union, claiming to be the cradle of democracy at every opportunity, we are described as a ‘‘Muslim’’ minority and our identity is denied. Is this how our country abides by the rules of international law and respects European values? No matter how much our country denies it, we, who have lived in these lands for centuries, are ‘‘Turks’’ and we do not want to be a tool for election propaganda over our identity and rights’’.
*Image: www.anadoluimages.com
