ABTTF met with HRWF Int'l and ENAR in Brussels

The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) President Halit Habip Oğlu and ABTTF Exective Board member Sami Yusuf paid a one-day working visit to Brussels on 10 December 2014. Accompanied by the ABTTF Brussels Office, Habip Oğlu and Yusuf met with Willy Fautre, Director of the Human Rights Without Frontiers International (HRWF Int'l) and Michael Privot, Director of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) during the working visit.

Current problems of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace ad cooperation issues discussed

Firstly, the ABTTF delegation met with Willy Fautre at HRWF Int’l’s head office. Particularly, ABTTF President Habip Oğlu conveyed the current problems of the Turkish Minority Western Thrace in the fields of religion and education. He said despite the opposition of the Minority, the draft bill which includes amendments in minority education and is a new blow to the Minority’s educational autonomy was accepted in the Greek Parliament on 27 November 2014. Habip Oğlu added their wish as ABTTF to move forward the current collaboration with HRWF Int’l in the coming period regarding human and minority rights issues and make joint efforts on problems related to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace as they did in the past.

The second meeting during the working visit was held at ABTTF Brussels Office with Michael Privot, Director of ENAR which is one of the leading NGOs in the field of combating racism and discrimination in Europe. After informing ABTTF delegation about ENAR’s basic working areas, Privot talked about these working areas as collecting data on the equality field, not letting minorities and immigrants face discrimination in employment and economy and ensure equal opportunities, developing specific strategies for minorities, supporting of civil society organizations to join their forces in human rights and fundamental rights and through this way strengthening their voice and the fight against racism and hate-motivated crimes. Finally, ABTTF President Habip Oğlu expressed the desire to engage in collaborative work together and to develop cooperation with ENAR within the scope of the fight against discrimination and racism towards the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace in Greece.