FUEN calls on Greece to immediately implement the judgements of ECtHR related to the Western Thrace Turkish associations

The resolution on the freedom of association of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and implementation of the related judgements of the European Court of Human Rights taken against Greece, which was submitted by the “Western Thrace Turkish delegation” consisted of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (BTAYTD) and Friendship, Equality and Peace (DEB) Party, was adopted at the Assembly of Delegates of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) held on 23 June 2018 in Leeuwarden/Ljouwert in the Netherlands.

In the resolution adopted by the FUEN Assembly of Delegates, it is stated that the ECtHR found Greece has violated the Article 11 on the right to association of the European Convention on Human Rights in the cases of “Bekir-Ousta group” related to the Xanthi Turkish Union (İTB) which was closed because of the word “Turkish” in its name, and the Cultural Association of Turkish Woman in the Prefecture of Rodopi and the Evros Prefecture Minority Youth Association which were not registered by the Greek courts, and although more than ten years have elapsed since their promulgation in 2008, Greece has not yet implemented the mentioned judgements of the ECtHR. It is indicated in the resolution that the new law 4491/2017 adopted on 13 October 2017, which is supposed to pave the way for implementation of ECtHR judgements in the Greek national law, has brought restrictions like protection of “national security”, “public order”, and “rights and freedoms of others and international treaties”, It is also noted that the Xanthi Turkish Union which is the first association of the Western Thrace Turkish community founded in 1927, applied to the local court for return of its official legal entity, adding that the hearing was held at the Court of Appeal of Thrace on 9 February 2018, but the decision of the court is still pending.

In the resolution, in which it is also noted that the “Bekir-Ousta group of cases against Greece are closely monitored by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the FUEN Assembly of Delegates calls on the Greek government to recognize the ethnic Turkish identity of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and to immediately implement the pertinent judgements of the ECtHR.

The said resolution submitted by the Western Thrace Turkish delegation consisted of ABTTF, BTAYTD and DEB Party and adopted by the FUEN Assembly of Delegates will be sent by FUEN to the leading Greek politicians, above all to the President and Prime Minister of Greece, to the important personalities from international politics as well as to the international institutions and organizations.