ABTTF brought the defamatory campaign targeting the political representatives of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and the dissolution of the FEP Party to the UN agenda
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) submitted two written statements titled ‘‘Demand for Dissolution of the Friendship, Equality and Peace (FEP) Party in Greece and Right to Vote and Stand for Election of the Turkish Community in Thrace’’ and ‘‘Targeting of Political Representatives of the Turkish Community in Western Thrace’’ to the 57th Session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council held in Geneva, Switzerland between 9 September-11 October 2024.
Stating that the ethnic Turkish identity of the Turkish community in Western Thrace in Greece, which was recognised as a ‘‘minority’’ under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and granted autonomy in the fields of education and religion, is denied and rejected, ABTTF noted that as a reflection of the official state policy, MPs and members of the Turkish community in Western Thrace, all of whom are Greek citizens, are subjected to serious hate speech in the mainstream Greek media. ABTTF further indicated that unfounded and defamatory news were published about the rights defenders of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and that Turkish MPs were scapegoated just because they participated in the activities of Turkish organisations in Western Thrace or because of their work in Parliament to protect the rights of the Turkish community.
In a written statement with respect to the demand for the dissolution of the FEP Party, ABTTF brought to the agenda the demands for the dissolution of the Friendship Equality Peace (FEP) Party, the political party of the Turkish community in Western Thrace, after the aforementioned party became the first party in the European Parliament (EP) elections held on 9 June 2024 by receiving the highest number of votes in the prefectures of Rodopi and Xanthi, as in 2014 and 2019. ABTTF stated that following the party’s large vote rate and success in the elections, political speeches and media reports were made claiming that the party was supported by Türkiye and that it posed a supposed danger to Greece’s national security and territorial integrity, and that this situation turned into a smear campaign for the dissolution of the party.
ABTTF reminded that the applications made to the Court of Cassation and the Council of State for the suspension of the party’s activities as a result of this ugly campaign launched against the FEP Party is an extremely negative situation for democracy and law in Greece since the party participated in the elections with the approval of the Court of Cassation and noted that this defamation and discrediting targeting the FEP Party is a direct attack on the freedom of opinion of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and its right to vote and be elected.
ABTTF urged the Greek authorities to use all legal measures and mechanisms at their disposal to prevent hate and racist discourse in politics and media directly targeting the Turkish community in Western Thrace and to impose criminal sanctions against speech that provokes hatred.
Please click below to access the two written statements submitted by ABTTF to the UN Human Rights Council:
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/165/39/pdf/g2416539.pdf
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/165/37/pdf/g2416537.pdf
