Atrocity in the village of Ircan!

On 2 March 2011, the sheep pen of Fikret Fikret in the Ircan village in Komotini, Greece was at-tacked by an unidentified person or persons. The assailants killed thirty of sheep in the pen.* According to the news published in the newspaper Birlik, the herdsman Sali Fikret stated that the throat of the sheep had been cut, but none of them had been stolen. On the same night of the at-tack, the tires of three cars and two tractors were cut. Again on the same night, a shelter of cattle owned by a person belonging to the Turkish minority of Western Thrace was burned down.

Attacks on the businesses and assets owned by the persons belonging to the Turkish minor-ity are increasing

According to Birlik, the concerning attack is not an exceptional case as the assets belonging to the Turkish minority of Western Thrace in Komotini have been attacked for four weeks. Previously, the workplace of a panel beater belonging to the Turkish minority on the way of the Seymen village, and one week after this, the workplace of person belonging to the Turkish minority in Kalfa was also at-tacked.

With regard to subject-matter, Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) made the following statement: “The attack made in the village of Irca is quite surprising although the details about it has not been known yet...The fact that on the same night of the attack, a shelter of cattle was burned down and the tires of some cars were cut, reduces the claim that the concerning attack is a singular one or was made due to personal animosity. Again, the news about the attacks on the businesses and assets owned by the persons belonging to the Turkish minority within the last month cause concern that the peaceful environment in Western Thrace has been deliberately tried to be eradicated. We condemn the concerning attack, and demand that the law enforcement forces in Komotini capture at once the assailants, and find out whether there is a connection between those attacks made in Komotini”.