Echos of ABTTF's ECOSOC Membership at Greek Press

Hronos – Komotini (Gümülcine)

3 August 2006

They Provoke

After United Nation recognized Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) and accepted ist application to become a member of Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it is demanded that the associations in Thrace are recognized by Greek Government.

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) demanded the minority candidates not to forget the situation and problems of the so – called Western Thrace Turkish Minority members living abroad but specially in Middle Europe before the local elections.

Halit Habipoğlu, the chairman of the mentioned federation, said that the candidates were determined before the local elections and a very important part of the Turkish minority lived in Xanthi and Komotini so they had the power to elect their own governors. He emphasized that this chance should not be missed and he wanted the Turkish minorty members to vote for
the Turkish candidates.

The mentioned chairman said that they would organize some events to get the attention of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority members and inform them about the importance of their votes in affecting the result of the coming election. „Local authorities have an increasing importance in the globalising world and institutionalizing process of European Union. Therefore, local elections should be taken as seriously as the general elections so even a vote should not be wasted” said the mentioned chairman of the mentioned federation.


The mentioned federation, ABTTF; that announces itself as being the roof organization of 29 Western Thrace Turkish Minority associations founded throughout Europe, got the representation right at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

According to the newsletter of ABTTF;it has been representing Western Thrace Turkish Minority for 18 years and now it became the firstly recognized Western Thrace Turkish Minority Organization at United Nations and it is accepted as the seventh Turkish Non Governmental Organization (NGO) by ECOSOC.

The mentioned federation has the right to open representative offices in New York, Vienna, Geneva where United Nations has centres. ABTTF has the right to give consultancy to United Nations in the scope of minorities and the themes relating Western Thrace Turkish Minority members. With the new status, ABTTF can attend international meetings and make presentations.

“All Turkish names are forbidden in the public area and moreover, the organizations that have Turkish names do not have legal permit to carry on their activities in Greece. The best answer to Greece is given by United Nations when Turkish organizations have been recognized and given the consultative status at ECOSOC.” said Habipoğlu and continued “ Our country, Greece, has presented our efforts to get our basic rights as marginal actions in the international platforms and tried to blacken our peaceful activities. We achieved to express our demands at Council of Europe and United Nations. United Nations has declared ABTTF as the special status NGO and this is the most important affirmation in the international platform for us and for our peaceful activities to get our basic rights. We hope, this will be a sign for Greece to change its policy towards Western Thrace Turkish Minority members.”

ECOSOC is the supreme international platform among the international NGOs and has given 2719 NGO the representative status throughout the world. The NGO that can have the representative status in ECOSOC must be non - govermental, non – profit, pacifist and must have democratic decision-making mechanisms. Members of ECOSOC can use the expression “Non-Governmental Organisation in a Special Representative Consultative Status with the Economic and Social. Council of the United Nations” which gives the members a special international legitimation power.

The most important thema to consider is what the Greek authorities do about the steps that the mentioned federation has taken and will take while they must be very careful and take precautionary actions aganist the possible coming actions of this federation. It is so clear that the mentioned federation is going to create very crucial problems in the framework of Greece Western Thrace.


Eleftheri Thraki - Alexandroupoli (Dedeağaç)

2 August 2006

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) is recognized formally as the Turkish Non – Govermental Organization (NGO) by United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the supreme international platform among the international NGOs

ABTTF has the right to open representative offices in New York, Vienna, Geneva where United Nations has centres. ABTTF has the right to give consultancy to United Nations in the scope of minorities and the themes relating Western Thrace Turkish Minority members. With the new status, ABTTF can attend international meetings and make presentations.

Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs evaluating this new situation as the application to get the right to be able to use Turkish names for the Western Thrace Turkish Minority Associations after İskeçe Turkish Solidarity Assocation was closed by the Greek Supreme Court of Appeals. To object the Greek Supreme Court of Appeals decision, Western Thrace Turkish Minority members resorted to European Court of Strasbourgh and ABTTF’s membership urged Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs to evaluate this new situation and the decision of Greek Supreme Court of Appeals once again.