Golden Dawn supporters attack the car of Turkish Consul General in Komotini

ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu: We strongly condemn the attack on Turkish Consul General in Komotini, Osman İlhan Şener, and call on the Greek Government to take immediate measures against the Golden Dawn threat

The supporters of the far-right political party Golden Dawn attacked the official car of Turkish Consul General Osman İlhan Şener during his visit to the Mayor of Kavala, Kostas Simichis on Wednesday. A group of 30 protesters from the Golden Dawn, holding Greek flags, gathered in front of the municipality building, and chanted slogans against Turkey and founder of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. After the Consul General had got into his car, some persons from the group attacked it with punches and kicks, and smirched its front screen.

In his statement he gave to the Turkish television NTV, the Consul General Osman İlhan Şener said as they drove in the Kavala city, they were stopped by the Greek police and informed of the Golden Dawn supporters who gathered in front of the municipality building, adding the protests continued even during the one-hour-meeting with the mayor. The Consul General and the accompanying delegation had to stay in the building for an hour until the additional police force arrived, and then could leave the city with police escort.

“As the ABTTF Executive Board, we strongly condemn the attack on Turkish Consul General in Komotini, Osman İlhan Şener. The oral and physical attacks staged by the supporters of Golden Dawn, which include the violent ones against the groups living in the country with different linguistic, religious or ethnic origin, have reached today such a dimension that even the police have difficulties to intervene in them. The Greek Government should take immediate measures against this gradually growing threat, and seriously deal with all the options including the banning of the party.” stated Halit Habipoğlu, Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).