ABTTF President: “The fact that the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases concerning the associations of the Turkish Minority in Western Thrace have been disregarded by the Court of Cassation—our country’s highest court—and that these judgments have not been executed for over 18 years is one of the clearest examples demonstrating that the rule of law is being systematically violated in our country and that the judiciary is not independent.”
According to the latest Eurobarometer public opinion survey on challenges and priorities, conducted by the European Commission across the 27 EU Member States, the vast majority of the Greek public believe that the rule of law is not respected.
The survey results show that 62 percent of the Greek public state that the rule of law is not respected, whilst only 35 percent hold the opposite view. Across the EU as a whole, 47 percent of the public are satisfied with respect for the rule of law.
‘‘Meanwhile, in Greece, the independent judiciary (37 percent), the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights (35 percent) and freedom of expression (32 percent) are perceived as the most important elements of a democratic society. The results of the latest Eurobarometer public opinion survey have once again clearly highlighted the structural problems regarding the rule of law and the judicial system in our country, Greece. In our country, nearly seven out of every ten people believe that the rule of law—one of the most fundamental pillars of democracy—is being violated. Whilst the government has sought to cover up the legal and corruption scandals that have occurred one after another in our country in recent years—and which the EU has been monitoring very closely—for political reasons, this situation has, naturally, completely destroyed the public’s trust in the judiciary. The fact that the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases concerning the associations of the Turkish Minority in West-ern Thrace have been disregarded by the Court of Cassation—our country’s highest court—and that these judgments have not been executed for over 18 years is one of the clearest examples demonstrating that the rule of law is being systematically violated in our country and that the judiciary is not independent’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
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