ABTTF President: “Greece, which has been a member of the EU since 1981 and defines itself as the cradle of democracy, is not content with denying the ethnic Turkish identity of our Turkish community in Western Thrace; it is dissolving our associations and restricting our freedoms. Greece must urgently recognise the Turkish community in Western Thrace before the minorities in neighbouring countries and protect their rights’’.
Following the success of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in the elections three weeks ago, Albanian Minister for Foreign Affairs Igli Hasani paid a working visit to Athens, the capital of Greece, on 4 June 2025. During the visit, Hasani held bilateral talks with Greek Minister for Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis.
During the meeting, Gerapetritis indicated that Greece cooperates with Albania and supports its neighbour’s accession to the European Union. Recalling that Greece had approved the launch of EU accession negotiations with Albania, Gerapetritis emphasised that the protection of the rights of the Greek minority in Albania was a ‘‘priority issue’’ for Greece. Gerapetritis noted that the Albanian community in Greece and the Greek minority in Albania serve as a bridge of understanding and a strong bond between the two countries.
“It is natural for the Minister for Foreign Affairs of our country Greece, Giorgos Gerapetritis, to emphasise the rights of the Greek minority in Albania, but despite this, our Turkish community in Western Thrace, who are Greek citizens, continue to be denied. Greece, which has been a member of the EU since 1981 and defines itself as the cradle of democracy, is not content with denying the ethnic Turkish identity of our Turkish community in Western Thrace; it is dissolving our associations and restricting our freedoms. Greece must urgently recognise the Turkish community in Western Thrace before the minorities in neighbouring countries and protect their rights”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
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