ABTTF attended the UN Forum on Minority Issues

ABTTF and BTAYTD (Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association) brought the very problems Western Thrace Turkish Minority faces to the agenda

Federation of Western Thrace Turkish Minority (ABTTF) has attended the Fifth Session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues on 27-28 November 2012. The minority was represented by ABTTF International Affairs Director Melek Kırmacı Arık, Member of the ABTTF International Affairs and Lobby Department Nazif Tachsim, member of BTAYTD and the Director of Western Thrace Minority Culture and Education Foundation Pervin Hayrullah and member of BTAYTD Dr. Ali Hüseyinoğlu during the meeting on implementation of the “Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities”, which dates back to 1992

ABTTF: Greece denies the Western Thrace Turkish Minority from the collective self-identification as “Turks”

Melek Kırmacı Arık, ABTTF Director of International Affairs, raised the problem on Greece’s denial of minority’s ethnic identity as “Turkish” while recognizing it only as the “Muslim Minority in Thrace” and the repercussions on freedom of association within the course of a discussion held in order to evaluate the developments in the last two decades as for the implementation of the declaration.

Greece: Nowhere in the world the Muftis enjoy religious and judicial autonomy. Greece appoints the Muftis for their judicial autonomy upon the Muslim population in Thrace

During the awareness-rising discussion on the declaration, the BTAYD delivered a speech on Greece not allowing the Western Thrace Turkish Minority to elect/determine its own religious leaders and muftis. In follow up with the expression of the problem by BTAYD, Angelos Sirigos submitted a declaration on Greek official policy that being a unique case and the Muftis having both religious and judicial autonomy in Greece, they assume office by appointment not by election.