Xanthi Turkish Union administrators shown explicitly as a target by the racist organization!

Halit Habip Oğlu: “We severely condemn the ones who struggle for the rights of the Western Turkish community being targeted openly and we call on the competent authorities of our country Greece to make the required intervention immediately against this threat against safety of life”

A racist group which calls itself “High-Level Patrol Group” showed the administrators of Xanthi Turkish Union (İTB), the oldest association of Western Thrace Turkish community, as a target directly providing their names and photographs and with the explanation it has published on some internet pages and social media. According to the new of Gündem newspaper the explanation provided is by “High-Level Patrol Group” of which its name has been heard for the first time. Along with the explanation in subject a photograph of İTB President Ozan Ahmetoğlu with the members of management and inspection board and Rasim Hint, president of the council in the last İTB Congress was published and the statement “Be prepared to give message to the gentlemen below when necessary” was indicated.

High-Level Patrol Group recently made a call to the organization “Guardians of Thrace”, known for the attacks targeting Western Thrace Turkish community, to take action and “target” the administrators of İTB whose names were revealed with their photographs. In the written explanation where it was stated there are major deficiencies in Greek’s “national policy” it is alleged that in case that İTB is recognized problems would be experienced in the region, following the law pertinent to İTB many minority associations wait with the aim to change their names and add the expression of “Turkish” in their names.

Concerning the issue, the President of Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) Halit Habip Oğlu said “Administrators of Xanthi Turkish Union” being shown as a target directly by “High-Level Patrol Group” whose name we have heard for the first time is absolutely unacceptable. As ABTTF we severely condemn the ones who struggle for the rights of the Western Turkish community being targeted openly. All of this written explanation published on the internet covers racist and hatred discourse targeting at Western Thrace Turks. It is clear that some people again try to create tension, disrupt the atmosphere of pace and wellness, create a perception against us in the society at large through showing us the citizens of Greece, Western Thrace Turkish community, as the “other” and as a threat. Against this threat aiming at safety of life we call on competent authorities of our country Greece to intervene immediately and prevent such provocations”.