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HEADLINE NEWS
Prime Minister Mitsotakis paid an official visit to Ankara
12.02.2026
ABTTF President: “As the Turkish community in Western Thrace, we too wish to act as a bridge between our country and our motherland, but unfortunately this is not possible due to the perception of an “enemy within” created by the state targeting our community in our country. We want the government to develop a sincere, honest and ...
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...
Human Rights Watch has drawn attention to the decline in the rule of law in Greece
06.02.2026
ABTTF President: “Our country should take into account the justified and constructive criticism regarding the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the reports of the supranational organisations and international civil society organisations of which it is a member, and should take the necessary steps without delay to counter...
The only official mosque in Athens, where thousands of Muslims live, fails to meet the demand for collective worship
04.02.2026
ABTTF President: “We call upon our country, one of the oldest members of the European Union, which constantly claims to be the cradle of democracy, to honour its obligations in this area by addressing the needs of collective worship of thousands of Muslims living in Athens and Thessaloniki, showing full respect for freedom of religion and wor...
Written opinion from ABTTF on the report of the Greek Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sport
03.02.2026
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) prepared a written opinion on the issues concerning the Turkish community in Western Thrace included in the report titled ‘‘2024 Report on Incidents Against Places of Religious Importance in Greece’’ published by the Greek Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and S...
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...
Written contribution from ABTTF to the 2026 Rule of Law Report of the European Commission
20.01.2026
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) submitted its written contribution regarding the 2026 Rule of Law Report to be published by the European Commission. ABTTF participated in the online consultation process organised by the European Commission on its 2026 Rule of Law Report, which is aimed at civil society organisation...
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...
Prime Minister Mitsotakis: The UN Charter and the principles of international law must always be respected
13.01.2026
ABTTF President: “In our country, which ranks among the lowest in Europe in terms of the rule of law index, the overwhelming majority of the population does not trust the government or the national parliament. We, the Turkish community in Western Thrace, have been facing the consequences of this negative situation in our country for years, a ...
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&...
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