Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Bulgaria, Renew Europe) submitted a question for written answer to the European Commission on 15 March 2025 with the title ‘‘Stigmatisation of civil society groups in Greece’’.
In the question for written answer submitted by MEP Kyuchyuk with the initiative of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), it is noted that in the chapter on Greece of the 2024 Rule of Law Report published by the European Commission, a number of issues regarding the state of the rule of law in the country and the independence of the judiciary were raised.
The question for written answer further noted that the report published by the European Commission indicated that the registration of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Greece remains an issue and that a study by the Expert Council on NGO Law of the Council of Europe drew attention to the stigmatisation and criminalisation of certain activities of NGOs in the country.
Moreover, it is stipulated that some vulnerable groups, notably minorities, are stigmatised and targeted in Greece, and that human rights defenders and various NGOs representing the Turkish community in Western Thrace are cited as examples of this situation. In the question for written answer, it is pointed out that in a news article published in October 2021 on newsbreak.gr, a news website based in Athens, ABTTF representing the Turkish community in Western Thrace was stigmatised and there was an attempt to discredit ABTTF by making unfounded allegations against ABTTF, and it is further explained that ABTTF opened a claim for damages a against the aforementioned news website and that the legal process is ongoing.
In the question for written answer, MEP Kyuchyuk asked what measures the European Commission intends to take against the serious setbacks in the field of democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Greece and what steps it can take to counter the stigmatisation of individuals and NGOs representing the Turkish community in Western Thrace.
Please click below to access the question for written answer:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-10-2025-001113_EN.html
