ABTTF President: ‘‘The exclusion of our community from the distribution of funds intended to strengthen social balance in our region, as indicated by Bornovas, is blatant discrimination! However, as we have always said, our region, which is one of the most economically underdeveloped regions of the European Union, needs a comprehensive development programme that distributes funds equally to everyone, without excluding anyone.”
Retired Ambassador Vasilios Bornovas noted that development funds allocated for use in (Western) Thrace were not being used for their intended purpose.
Speaking on the YouTube channel Militaire News, Bornovas said that instead of strengthening social balance in the region and increasing the state’s presence, these resources were distributed to certain businesspeople, and in some cases, there were no real businesses involved.
Noting that this negligence has created a serious weakness not only in (Western) Thrace but also in foreign policy in general, Bornovas explained that Greece has squandered opportunities at a time when Turkey is increasing its influence in the region, particularly through economic and cultural diplomacy.
“Retired Ambassador Bornovas, who establishes a link between the funds earmarked for the economic development of Western Thrace and the social balance and power of the state in our region, relates the issue to our community in one way or another, even if he does not say so explicitly. The exclusion of our community, which constitutes the majority of the population in the prefecture of Rodopi and nearly half of the population in the prefecture of Xanthi, from the distribution of the funds intended to strengthen social balance in our region is blatant discrimination! However, as we have always said, our region, which is one of the most economically underdeveloped regions of the European Union, needs a comprehensive development programme that distributes funds equally to everyone, without excluding anyone”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
*Image: www.anadoluimages.com
