ABTTF President: “As the Turkish community in Western Thrace, we too wish to act as a bridge between our country and our motherland, but unfortunately this is not possible due to the perception of an “enemy within” created by the state targeting our community in our country. We want the government to develop a sincere, honest and dialogue-based approach on issues that directly concern our community. As we have always stated, with dialogue and goodwill, there is no problem within our community that cannot be resolved.”
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis paid an official visit to Ankara on 11 February 2026. Mitsotakis was received by President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Following high-level talks at the Presidential Complex, President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Mitsotakis chaired the 6th meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council between Türkiye and Greece. After the meeting, President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Mitsotakis signed a joint declaration between the two countries.
Following the closed-door high-level talks, President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Mitsotakis held a joint press conference.
At the press conference, President Erdoğan indicated that during his talks with Prime Minister Mitsotakis, they once again discussed the positions of the two countries on the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean in a clear and sincere manner, noting that although the current issues are complex, they are not unsolvable on the basis of international law, adding, ‘‘as long as there is goodwill, constructive dialogue and the will to find a solution’’.
Referring to the Turkish community in Western Thrace in his speech, President Erdoğan noted the following: ‘‘We need to act with a sense of historical responsibility regarding minorities, who constitute the human element of our relations. I shared our expectations with the Prime Minister regarding the full enjoyment of religious freedoms and educational opportunities by the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.’
Prime Minister Mitsotakis also explained that they were in Ankara for the 6th meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council, adding that these meetings demonstrated how important and valuable good neighbourly relations and dialogue are.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis noted that they base their approach to minorities on the Treaty of Lausanne, which refers to a religious minority, a Muslim minority, in Thrace. He noted that Greek Muslims in Thrace live in great harmony with Christians in the region and are equal before the law. Prime Minister Mitsotakis added that although the Greek minority in Istanbul, Türkiye, has dwindled, it continues to be a colourful part of the country’s cultural and social life, adding, ‘‘Indeed, minorities in both countries can play a bridging role and a role of mutual understanding between the two countries’’.
‘‘The President of our motherland Türkiye and the Prime Minister of our country Greece emphasised the importance of dialogue and cooperation in bilateral relations in their statements and reaffirmed their determination to maintain the positive agenda in bilateral relations in December 2023 following their meetings in Athens. On the other hand, our prime minister has once again resorted to distorting the facts by interpreting the Treaty of Lausanne in a biased manner. As clearly stated in the provisions of the Treaty of Lausanne, only the term “non-Muslim minorities” is used for minorities in our motherland. We would like to take this opportunity to remind our Prime Minister of this fact once again. As the Turkish community in Western Thrace, we too wish to act as a bridge between our country and our motherland, but unfortunately this is not possible due to the perception of an “enemy within” created by the state targeting our community in our country. We want the government to develop a sincere, honest and dialogue-based approach on issues that directly concern our community. As we have always stated, with dialogue and goodwill, there is no problem within our community that cannot be resolved’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
*Image: www.anadoluimages.com
