ABTTF President: “Indeed, as Mitsotakis’ father implemented the policy of isonomia-isopolitia, that is, equality before the law and equal citizenship, may be the son Mitsotakis would talk about change as the government! However, the government must first show its goodwill towards our community, and this would be implementation of the ECtHR judgments that have not been executed for the past 15 years. Subsequently, it must create a dialogue mechanism to produce solutions to all our issues together, at equal eye level, by saying ‘‘For the minority, together with the minority’’ rather than ‘‘For the minority, despite the minority’’. We do not know if those days will come, but this is the truth! We are determined to voice this demand loudly!”
In the general elections held on 21 May in Greece, New Democracy (ND) won the elections for the second time in the general elections held on 25 June after the failure of the government to form the government and formed the government alone.
About a month after the new government was formed, the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports announced that it had decided to close the Turkish primary schools in seven villages in Rodopi and two in Xanthi. In the 2023-2024 school year, the number of Turkish primary schools in our region decreased to 90 with the closure of 9 more primary schools belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace due to the insufficient number of students.
Assessing the latest developments, ABTTF President Halit Habip Oğlu made the following statement: “After the elections, we received the news that 9 more primary schools will be closed in the 2023-2024 school year. Since 2011, there has been a rapid decrease in the number of primary schools every year. It is said that it is a practice that is applied throughout the country, but the truth is that the state does not have the right to interfere with our schools! That’s why, as we always say, this situation has turned into a tool of systematic discrimination against our community. While there are 42 state kindergartens in Rodopi and 30 in Xanthi, we do not have a single kindergarten in both prefectures as the Turkish community. The main purpose is to implement the strategy applied in Rhodes and Kos, to show as if the Turkish presence in Western Thrace does not exist, to create such a perception. For this reason, it prohibits the word ‘‘Turkish’’ in the names of our associations; closing our schools; does not recognise our muftis. Just like in Rhodes and Kos... State policy based on denial finds its response in the media as well. The discriminatory, stigmatising, and marginalising language against our community is dominant in the media! We experienced this very vividly after the 21 May elections. However, what is interesting is that we also witnessed that some politicians and academics in our country made some positive statements about our existence and identity between and after the two elections. Are these the first footsteps of change? Indeed, as Mitsotakis’ father implemented the policy of isonomia-isopolitia, that is, equality before the law and equal citizenship, may be the son Mitsotakis would talk about change as the government! However, the government must first show its goodwill towards our community, and this would be implementation of the ECtHR judgments that have not been executed for the past 15 years. Subsequently, it must create a dialogue mechanism to produce solutions to all our issues together, at equal eye level, by saying ‘‘For the minority, together with the minority’’ rather than ‘‘For the minority, despite the minority’’. We do not know if those days will come, but this is the truth! We are determined to voice this demand loudly!”
*Image: www.anadoluimages.com
