U.S. Mission to the OSCE responds to ABTTF

The United States (U.S.) Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna responded to the letter of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), which expressed the reaction of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace against the law 3536/2007 on the appointment of 240 religious preachers i.e. Imams by the Greek State to serve at mosques and schools in Western Thrace. In his letter of February 26, the U.S. Ambassador encour-ages ABTTF to continue its advocacy at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM), as it did in 2012 at the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting (SHDM) on Freedom of Assembly and Association.

In his letter, the Permanent Representative of the U.S. to the OSCE, Ambassador Ian Kelly states the U.S. Mission to the OSCE places great importance on the freedom of thought, conscience, relig-ion or belief as outlined in the Helsinki Final Act (1975) and the Concluding Act of Vienna (1989), as well as other relevant commitments, adding that he will remain attentive to this issue, and the United States will continue to encourage all participating States to fully implement their commit-ments on freedom or religion or belief.