ABTTF President: “The problems in the fields of human rights and the rule of law in Greece have become structural in nature. As Western Thrace Turks, we have been directly experiencing for years the practices and consequences of the state’s approach, which is characterized by institutionalized and structural discrimination. Our country, Greece, must now close the gap between the image of democracy and the rule of law it presents to the international community and its practices on the ground!”
The Council of Europe’s Venice Commission will prepare an urgent opinion on provisions concerning the registration of civil society organizations and criminal liability in Greece’s asylum and migration legislation.
Within the framework of its ongoing monitoring procedure concerning Greece, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) requested an examination of the provision of Asylum Law 4939/2022 concerning the NGO Registry and the provisions of Law 5275/2026 concerning the criminal liability of NGO members.
The provisions under examination concern the registration requirements and operating conditions of civil society organizations active in the field of migration and asylum, as well as criminal sanctions that may be imposed on their employees and members.
The Expert Council on NGO Law of the Council of Europe had previously criticized the provisions in question for seriously restricting the scope of activities of civil society organizations.
The Venice Commission’s urgent opinion is expected to be submitted for adoption at its Plenary Session in October 2026.
Commenting on the issue, Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), said: “In our country, Greece, the problems in the fields of human rights and the rule of law have become structural. In recent years, we have seen different manifestations of these structural problems in every field, and this situation is also under the scrutiny of international organizations. The fact that provisions affecting the activities of civil society organizations are now subject to an urgent review by the Venice Commission is the latest example. As Western Thrace Turks, we have been directly experiencing for years the practices and consequences of the state’s approach, which is characterized by institutionalized and structural discrimination. Our Turkish identity is not recognized, and our rights guaranteed under the Treaty of Lausanne have gradually been taken away from us. The non-implementation of the ECtHR judgments in the Bekir-Ousta group of cases, concerning violations of our freedom of association, and the continuous interference with our minority rights are not isolated from one another; they are manifestations of systematic and institutionalized discrimination against Western Thrace Turks. Human rights cannot be applied selectively. Our country, Greece, must now close the gap between the image of democracy and the rule of law it presents to the international community and its practices on the ground!”
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