The Country Chapter on Greece includes the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases regarding the violation of the Turkish Minority in Western Thrace’s freedom of association.
On 17 July 2026, the European Commission published its 2026 Rule of Law Report, covering the 27 EU Member States as well as potential EU members Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The European Commission examines the justice system, anti-corruption framework, media freedom, and institutional checks and balances within Member States.
Within the framework of the targeted stakeholder consultation conducted during the preparation process of the country chapter on Greece, the European Commission’s report references the contribution submitted by the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF). In this context, the European Commission notes under the country chapter on Greece that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments in the Bekir-Ousta and Others v. Greece group of cases have not been executed, stipulating the following: ‘‘The oldest leading judgment, pending implementation for 18 years, found violations of freedom of association’’.
The European Commission also states that Greece has not made sufficient progress in strengthening the environment in which civil society organisations operate. Pointing out that a regular and structured dialogue mechanism with civil society organisations has still not been established, the EU Commission recommended Greece to establish a regular dialogue with civil society organisations and to take steps to facilitate civil society activities.
The European Commission report further notes that challenges in the field of media freedom persist, conveying that anxieties over threats and attacks against journalists remain. Expressing that media pluralism needs to be strengthened, the Commission also notes that the legislation prepared against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) targeting journalists and human rights defenders has not yet been adopted.
‘‘For years, we have been bringing the issues faced by the Turkish Minority in Western Thrace to the agenda of European Union institutions. The Commission’s direct reference to ABTTF’s written contribution in its report on Greece is a result of these efforts. The inclusion of the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases in the report is a key indicator that the issues of the Turkish Minority in Western Thrace are no longer limited solely to Greece but are now being addressed as a part of the European Union's rule of law agenda’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
Please click bellow to access the European Commission’s country chapter on Greece:
https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/eb68862c-103b-441d-a85e-3424441f5218_en?filename=Country%20chapter%20-%20Greece%20-%20EN.pdf
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