The response of ABTTF to ND deputy Evripidis Stilyanidis`s statements

Rodopi ND (New Democracy) deputy and Chairman of the Greek Parliament Delegation to NATO, Evripidis Stilyanidis stated during a conference in New York that the Greek goverment`s policies were quite democratic in Western Thrace.

He explained that their policies concerning Muslim minority have been found rightful by the reports published by the US State Department and United Nations. He also insisted that the main reason why there have been no fundamenatlist and jihadist tendencies, which are increasingly seen in recent years, among the Western Thrace Muslim Minority is the correct policies that they have been pursuing.

The fact that Mr. Stilyanidis mentions Greek citizens of Western Thrace Turkish Minority together with the extremists and jihadists in his statement and his way of trying to reflect that The Minority may have such a tendency is an extremely dangerous expression. In contrast, Turkish minority always deems Greece as its own country and is strongly attached to democracy, tolerance and culture of living together. However, the same tolerance and egalitarian approach unfortunately lacks in the Greek government who does not allow the construction of even one mosque in the capital Athens that hosts around 1 million inhabitants.

As ABTTF, we were stunned and saddened by the statements of Mr. Stilyanidis and we want to remind once more that the long-lasting problems of Western Thrace Turkish minority are getting much worse let alone being solved. After its autonomy in religious affairs had been taken away from 1990’s onward, The Minority faces to lose its autonomy also in educational field after the decision taken by the Greek Parliament last month. In addition to this, Greece does not apply the rulings taken by European Court of Human Rights in favor of Western Thrace Turkish Minority for many years. Moreover, the Greek government continues to deny the existence of ethnic minorities in the country and insists that there is only a Muslim Minority in Greece refusing also the existence of Turkish Minority.

This and other similar applications shows that the policies conducted by our country Greece against Western Thrace Turkish Minority are unfortunately far from Western standards of democracy and human rights. At this point, Mr. Stilyanidis expressions only aim at pleasing their counterparts by stating what they want to hear rather than reflecting the realities. Our expectations from our country Greece is that it first of all ackonwledges the long-lasting problems of the Minority and then starts to take concrete steps in good faith for the solution of these problems.