In its written statement submitted to the 53rd Session of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations (UN) held in Geneva, the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) conveyed the behaviour and discourses which targeted the Turkish community in Western Thrace in the first snap elections which were held in Greece on 21 May 2023 to the agenda of the UN.
ABTTF indicated that the statements within the ranks of the opposition, the government, and media with claims that Türkiye intervened in the elections through its consulate in Komotini and thus contributing for SYRIZA’s Rhodope Provincial Deputy candidate Özgür Ferhat, a member of the Turkish community in Western Thrace, to win the elections on 21 May 2023 have led to the targeting of the whole community.
ABTTF noted that instead of respecting the election results, a nasty smear campaign was carried out in order to prevent the Turkish candidates who received high votes in the first snap elections from being nominated from the top of the list in the second round, with baseless and unrealistic claims, and criticised the use of the community as an election tool during the inter-election period.
Noting that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis openly claimed that Türkiye intervened during the elections in the inter-election period, ABTTF indicated that in a Turkish village in the prefecture of Rodopi visited by Dora Bakoyannis, one of the leading figures of New Democracy, she underlined with a threatening tone that in the event of Western Thrace Turks not supporting her party, things would become more difficult in the future. Considering that these statements were intended to frighten and intimidate the community, ABTTF cited with examples that there were articles in the press between the two elections that marginalised the Turkish community in Western Thrace and presented it as a threat to the integrity of the country.
Explaining that the stigma and marginalisation of the Turkish community in Western Thrace by rendering it a scapegoat is harming democracy in the country, ABTTF indicated that a clear example of this was experienced during the first snap elections.
Reminding that it is natural for Turkish voters to support Turkish candidates in an environment where the Turkish community in Western Thrace is ignored, ABTTF noted that the free will and choice of the voters is not respected and explained that the community clearly demonstrates its Turkish identity by supporting Turkish candidates in the elections.
