Greek Government repeats the official state thesis on the issue of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace

During an interview he gave to the “Real News” daily on 22 November 2009,* the Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas replied to the question, in relation to the expected meeting between the Greek Prime Minister and Foreign Minister George Papandreou and the Prime Minister of Turkey, R. Tayyip Erdogan, whether Greece was discussing minority issues in Thrace as Erdoğan had asked that Greece did not discuss issues relating to Greek citizens with any foreign government.

Droutsas answered as follows: “I will be categorical. This government does not discuss issues relating to Greek citizens with any foreign governments. Anyone can say what they want. We are not going into any such discussion. We are a country with a deep democratic tradition and respect in humanitarian values and human rights. So there is no such discussion, a discussion within the framework, in fact, of a false notion of reciprocity that is non-existent.”

Papandreou’s letter of reply curiously expected, no hope for the Turkish Minority

According to the news released on the website of the Greek newspaper “Ta Nea” on 25 November 2009, Athens does not agree to hold dialogue with Turkey on all topics. In the regarding news, it is stated that Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas, who was speaking before the the parliamentary committee on foreign relations and defence, said with regard to Erdogan’s suggestion of starting a dialogue on all topics between Athens and Ankara: ““We are not afraid of the direct contact; we are striving for it”. According to the news, Droutsas expressed that the Greek positions were based on strong arguments and the international law, and hinted Costas Karamanlis’s government was discussing with Ankara also the Muslim minority issue in Thrace. However, the newspaper wrote that later foreign ministry officials had dissociated themselves from that statement of Droutsas Karamanlis.

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had sent a three-page-letter to the Greek Prime Minister and Foreign Minister George Papandreou on 30 October 2009 in which he declared that his government had the firm will to improve the relationship with Greece in all areas, and was ready to address all the existing problem, and put forward a number of proposals presenting new opportunities for cooperation between the two countries. The expectations for Papandreou’s reply are optimistic, yet with regard to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, in view of the remarks made by the Deputy Foreign Minister Droutsas, it is expected that Greece will repeat its official state view.

Habipoğlu: Issue of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace as an indicator of sincerity for the Greek Government

With regard to the subject matter, Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), stated that „Although Greece has the right not to discuss issues relating to Greek citizens with any foreign government, however, it seems to forget that the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace has been left on its territory through the Lausanne Peace Treaty signed between Greece and Turkey. With regard to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, of which status and rights have been defined by this bilateral treaty, Turkey has the right and the obligation arising from the treaty to ask for discussing the problems by starting a dialogue process. But, as stated by Papandreou before the early elections on 4 October 2009, Greece tries to push Turkey outside the issue by interpreting the demand related to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace as its sovereign authority. Comments on the bases of reciprocity also serve for this purpose. The desire to prevent that minorities are abused by states and governments for political purpose lies under the comment that reciprocity principle does not apply to human and minority rights. We surely share this comment. But history has shown that the Turkish Minority was always directly and adversely affected by the Turkish-Greek relationship. On the other hand, Greece emphasizes in turn that problems associated with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul do not fall under the sovereignty of Turkey, instead interprets the issue as a problem between the European Union (EU) and Turkey with a view to the EU candidacy of Turkey. Vis-à-vis Turkey, which is obligated as a candidate country to the EU to meet the Copenhagen criteria in a satisfactory manner, Greece as member of the EU has had to implement already the rights and obligations belonging to the norms and values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. We are not talking about rhetoric here, but about real implementation. Relevant international reports on Greece indicate that Greece has not a clean record in the field of human and minority rights. If Greece is not willing to discuss issues relating to its citizens with Turkey, it must fully and satisfactorily grant collective minority rights to the members of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace who are Greek citizens, and actively encourage this through positive practices. The issue of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace is an indicator of sincerity for the Greek Government. If the Government is really sincere in its attitude, it should immediately take the necessary steps.“

* The full text of the interview is available at http://www.mfa.gr/www.mfa.gr/Articles/en-US/23112009_KL2100.htm.