ABTTF President: “Our country, which closely and carefully monitors the protection and development of the human and minority rights of the Greek minority in Albania, sees no harm in violating the rights of our community, which is under its responsibility, for years, and disregards the values of the EU of which it is a member. Our country is the only EU country that does not recognise national minorities! Is this justice? Is this respect for international law, EU fundamental rights and freedoms? Is this what it means to be the cradle of democracy?
In a news report dated 26 November 2023 published on the news site Himara.gr, it was indicated that Greece, as the motherland of the Greek minority in Albania, should take into account the issues related to the Greek minority in order to ensure the development and progress of real freedom conditions both in minority regions and in places where the Greek population lives densely, such as Himara. It is further noted that it is obliged to handle this issue with care.
In the news report titled “Since when is the violation of human and minority rights only a bilateral issue?”, it +is claimed that Fredi Beleri, the elected mayor of the city of Himara, which belongs to the Greek minority living in Albania, was arrested unjustly and illegally, and that in this context, it is argued that it is positive that Greece objected to the competent institutions regarding the progress of the membership negotiations between Albania and the European Union (EU).
“Issues related to the Greek minority, which is the largest in terms of population among the 9 national minorities in Albania that want to become a member of the EU, are naturally followed with sensitivity in the Greek press. The Greek minority has kindergartens, primary/middle schools and high schools where instruction is provided in Greek. On the other hand, our country Greece, which became a member of the EU in 1981 and claims to be the cradle of democracy, denies the existence of the Turkish community in Western Thrace that has lived in these lands for centuries. Our country, which closely and carefully monitors the protection and development of the human and minority rights of the Greek minority in Albania, sees no harm in violating the rights of our community, which is under its responsibility, for years, and disregards the values of the EU of which it is a member. Our country is the only EU country that does not recognise national minorities! Is this justice? Is this respect for international law, EU fundamental rights and freedoms? Is this what it means to be the cradle of democracy?”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
*Image: www.anadoluimages.com
