ABTTF President: “The findings of the delegation in the CINGOs report on Greece are highly significant, because, as we have always said, this group of cases has been politicised, and it is clear that Greece does not wish to execute the ECtHR judgments relating to this group of cases”.
The Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (CINGOs), established to act as a bridge between civil society and politicians with the aim of ensuring civil society’s participation in the Council of Europe’s decision-making processes and strengthening democratic values across Europe, and bringing together more than 300 international non-governmental organisations, has published its report on Greece.
In the report, published following its visit to Greece from 11 to 15 November 2025, CINGOs made significant observations regarding the environment in which civil society organisations operate in the country.
Noting that while a legal framework exists for civil society organisations, serious problems exist in practice, the CINGOs delegation indicated that registration and certification processes are complex, lengthy and costly. The CINGOs delegation noted that civil society organisations are occasionally discredited by political actors and that organisations working specifically in the fields of human rights, migration and minority issues are targeted.
Having visited Komotini to discuss the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases —which concerns violations of the Turkish Minority in Western Thrace’s freedom to establish associations—the CINGOs delegation met with CSOs representing the Western Thrace Turks and the aggrieved associations. In its report, the delegation explained that the ECtHR judgments in this group of cases have not been executed for many years. The CINGOs delegation, recalling that the ECtHR has clearly established that the expression of ethnic identity does not pose a threat to a democratic society, stated that despite this ruling by the ECtHR, the Greek authorities continue to maintain the approach that there is only a ‘‘religious minority’’ in the country based on the Treaty of Lausanne, and on this grounds continue to refuse the use of the word ‘‘Turkish’’ in the names of associations.
Furthermore, the CINGOs delegation highlighted that, in their meetings with Greek authorities, they observed a tendency of Greece to treat minority issues as a security matter, particularly in the context of its relations with Türkiye and its geopolitical position in the Eastern Mediterranean. In the report, the delegation stressed that this approach is shaped not only by legal but also by geopolitical considerations, emphasising that this geopolitical context has contributed to the narrowing of the civil society sphere and delays in resolving issues related to minority rights.
“During our working visits to Strasbourg, in our meetings with the President of CINGOs, we consistently raised the issue of the freedom of association for Western Thrace Turks. The Expert Council on NGO Law affiliated with CINGOs, have occasionally contributed to the review process in the Committee of Ministers within the Bekir Usta and Others group of cases. Indeed, the group of cases led by Bekir-Ousta is one of the first to be examined by the Committee of Ministers, as the ECtHR judgments in this group of cases have not been executed for the past 18 years. The findings of the delegation in the CINGOs report on Greece are highly significant, because, as we have always said, this group of cases has been politicised, and it is clear that Greece does not wish to execute the ECtHR judgments relating to this group of cases. That is why they are now playing for time by claiming they will make amendments to the Civil Code. As ABTTF, we have explained this to all our counterparts in Strasbourg, and we will continue to do so’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
Please click below for the CINGOs Greece report:
https://www.coe.int/en/web/ingo/-/civil-participation-in-serbia-and-greece-cingo-publishes-two-country-reports-calling-for-improvements
