Attack against the Turkish Youth Union of Komotini

On 21 March 2010, an attack took place against the Turkish Youth Union of Komotini. During the attack on Sunday night around 03:00 am, an unidentified person or persons broke the windows of the building with paving stones.* According to the news of daily Birlik, the attacker did not damage any goods inside the building. According to the news, teams from the Organized Crime Unit of the Rhodope Police Department examinated and took fingerprints of the crime scene.

Koray Hasan, President of the Turkish Youth Union of Komotini, noted in his statement towards the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) that they had noticed the attacks on 22 March 2010 when entering the building at 7:30 am. In addition, Hasan stated the following: “Police officers have investigated the crime scene and estimate that the attacks took place approximately around 03:00 am. Because windows were broken with cobblestones, it is thought that at least two persons were involved in the attacks. Still, due to the fact that the door on the westside of the building could not be opened, the persons failed to enter the building. During the investigation of the crime scene, police took fingerprints. As a result of the prosecution, we hope that the attackers will be identified and punished immediately.”

With regard to the subject matter, Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), stated the following “ABTTF condemns the attack against the Turkish Youth Union of Komotini and demands that the perpetrators are found as soon as possible and punished for their action. The fact that members of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, and organizations belonging to these persons are targeted, threatens social peace within the tolerant and multicultural society of Western Thrace.”