The European Commission answered the written question titled ‘‘Access to high-quality preschool education for children from the Turkish-minority community in Western Thrace (Greece)’’ presented by Members of the European Parliament (MEP) Loránt Vincze (Romania, EPP), François Alfonsi (France, Greens/EFA), Herbert Dorfmann (Italy, EPP) and Yana Toom (Estonia, Renew) on 6 July 2023.
In the written question submitted at the initiative of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) with the joint signature of four MEPs, it was noted that the Turkish community in Western Thrace living in Greece has the right to establish and manage its own schools within the scope of educational autonomy, but that the number of bilingual Turkish primary schools has decreased due to the approach of the state.
In the written question, it was pointed out that there is not even a single bilingual minority kindergarten in Western Thrace and that the Greek authorities left the Turkish community’s requests for private kindergartens unanswered, and it was indicated that the deprivation of children belonging to the Turkish community from pre-school education in their mother tongue creates inequality in education.
MEPs Vincze, Alfonsi, Dorfmann and Toom asked what steps the European Commission plans to take to ensure that the educational rights of children belonging to the Turkish community are guaranteed in accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and EU legislation.
In the answer submitted on 24 October 2023 by Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, on behalf of the European Commission, it was noted that in accordance with Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, Member States are fully responsible for the organisation of their own educational systems and it was further highlighted that the choice of the language of instruction remains within the purview of the Member States.
Ivanova noted that the European Commission is working with Member States to promote support for language learning and multilingual diversity within the EU’s limited competences, adding that the 2019 Council Recommendation on High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care Systems (ECEC) is particularly relevant for multilingual countries and that it encourages early language learning and bilingual schools in the regions, but it was further added that it does not constitute a legally binding act.
Indicating that the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU prohibits any form of discrimination and states the EU’s obligation to respect cultural, religious and linguistic diversity, Ivanova explained that these provisions are applicable to Member States only when they are implementing Union law.
*Image: www.anadoluimages.com
