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WESTERN THRACE
What is the National Demographic Action Plan aiming to achieve in Western Thrace?
18.02.2026
ABTTF President: “Without concrete economic investments that will create employment opportunities in parallel with resettlement, the economic and social development of the region is not possible. The government previously established the inter-party Commission for the Development of Thrace which adopted its final report in November 2021, but ...
Imposition of Orthodox Christian rituals on Muslim pupils belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace
10.02.2026
ABTTF President: “We strongly condemn this event, which constitutes a clear attack on the religious and cultural values of our community with the aim of alienating our pupils from their own identities through assimilation. We call upon the relevant authorities to fully respect our pupils’ freedom of religion and conscience and to take t...
ABTTF President Habip Oğlu: The religious autonomy of the Turkish community in Western Thrace has once again been disregarded!
27.01.2026
ABTTF President: “In our country, the Greek Orthodox Church—the prevailing religion—and the recognised Jewish community are religiously autonomous; as communities, they freely organise their internal affairs without state intervention. All known religions in the country have an autonomous structure; the state intervenes only in ou...
Minister of Education Zacharaki responds to parliamentary question regarding the visit of the Turkish Consul General in Komotini to Turkish schools in Western Thrace
15.01.2026
ABTTF President: “The Consul General of our motherland Türkiye in Komotini, a signatory to the Treaty of Lausanne, visited Turkish primary schools in his jurisdiction, having obtained the necessary legal authorisations in accordance with the principle of reciprocity, and listened to their problems on the spot. Similarly, in the recent pa...
Another blow to the religious autonomy of the Turkish community in Western Thrace!
09.01.2026
ABTTF President: “This decision is absolutely unacceptable and null and void for our community. We call upon our country to address the issue of muftis in direct dialogue with our community, to recognise the muftis elected by the free will of our community, and to immediately cease its unilateral practices that violate our religious autonomy&...
We condemn in the strongest terms the despicable attack on the Turkish primary school in the village of Aratos (Karacaoğlan)!
05.01.2026
The Turkish primary school in the village of Aratos (Karacaoğlan), which is part of the Municipality of Arriana (Kozlukebir) in the Western Thrace region of Greece, was attacked by unidentified individuals. According to the information obtained, the entrance door of the primary school, which was closed by the Greek authorities in the 2021-2022 s...
Habip Oğlu: “No one has the power to erase the name ‘‘Western Thrace’’
05.11.2025
ABTTF President: “This is not just a matter of names; it is part of our identity, our history, and our honour. There may be those who ignore us, who dismiss us. But we exist. And we will continue to exist, to make our voices heard on every platform’’. President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) Halit H...
Habip Oğlu: The Turkish cultural identity of Western Thrace must be taken into account!
10.10.2025
ABTTF President: “Our country’s leaders must now realise that nothing can be achieved through a policy of denial. The Turkish cultural identity in the cities of Western Thrace, particularly Komotini and Xanthi, which are included in this project run by the Ministry of Culture, must also be taken into account in the implementation of the...
Xanthi Turkish Minority Secondary and High School Board: We are not being allowed to enter the building of the school we manage!
01.10.2025
ABTTF President: “We are well aware that our country aims to completely eliminate our Turkish school system and educational autonomy through these arbitrary and oppressive practices, but we will never allow this to happen. We stand firmly behind the Xanthi Turkish Minority Secondary and High School Board in their democratic and just struggle....
Police violence in Xanthi: A member of the Turkish community in Western Thrace was beaten!
30.09.2025
ABTTF President: ‘‘We strongly condemn the completely arbitrary arrest and beating of a member of our community by a police officer in Xanthi and convey our best wishes to him and his family. The police officer responsible for this incident, which tramples on human dignity, and other responsible parties must be held accountable as soon ...
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