ABTTF President and TAG Spokesman: ‘‘The main point is a well-intentioned approach! There is no reason why the current issues cannot be solved the day our country recognises our existence, our identity and sees us as real wealth! Without good will, issues are not solved, new ones are added to existing ones every day. It is up to us to fight to make our voices heard in every field. As we always do!’’
The Working Group of Turkic Minorities/Communities (TAG) within the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN), the largest umbrella organisation of national and autochthonous minorities in Europe in which the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) is a full member, paid a working visit to Romania and Bulgaria on 8-12 May 2024.
ABTTF President and TAG Spokesman Halit Habip Oğlu met with representatives of Turkic minorities and communities living in Romania and Bulgaria during his working visit.
Habip Oğlu, who met with the Democratic Turkish Union of Romania, Democratic Union of Turkic-Muslim Tatars of Romania and FUEN member Tatar Democratic Union in Romania, pursued his visit in Bulgaria where he attended a joint meeting in the city of Shumen in Bulgaria with the BIZ Association operating in the region of Deliorman, Association of Turkish Teachers of Northern and Eastern Bulgaria, Tunahan Association, Güneş Association and Cem Association.
During his visit to Bulgaria, Habip Oğlu also met with Shumen Regional Mufti Mesut Hasan in his office.
Assessing his working visit to Romania and Bulgaria, ABTTF President and TAG Spokesman Halit Habip Oğlu made the following statement: ‘‘I went on a working visit to Romania and Bulgaria and met with our Turkic compatriots living in these countries. Among the 20 recognised minority groups in Romania, Turks and Tatars are officially recognised by the state and minority rights are guaranteed by the Constitution. Turks and Tatars, like other recognised minorities in the country, have seats in the Romanian national parliament. Likewise, the Greek minority, which is one of the officially recognised minorities in the country, has a population of 2,086. A quota of one member of parliament is allocated for all recognised minorities in the country to be represented in the national parliament. There is even the National Council of Minorities, which includes all minority MPs. All decisions regarding minorities are first passed through this council. Minorities in the country work in public institutions and organisations, even serving as deputy ministers. All recognised minority groups are allocated an annual budget from the treasury in proportion to their population. The current President is Klaus Iohannis, who belongs to the German minority. Iohannis, who was first elected President in 2014, has been president for two terms. In our country Greece, minorities are not recognised, and in order to prevent minorities from being represented, a 3 percent election threshold is applied throughout the country, which is valid for independent candidates as well as political parties. The ethnic ‘‘Turkish’’ identity of our community is denied. In Bulgaria, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) is represented in the national parliament with 36 deputies, according to the 2023 election results, and has a say in the government as the fourth largest political party in the country. The Office of the Grand Mufti of Bulgaria is an institution recognised by the state. The President and members of the Supreme Holy Council of the Muslim Community, who are elected by the votes of the delegates sent by 1400 registered mosque associations in the elections held every five years, elect the Grand Mufti and regional muftis. The Office of the Grand Mufti receives a share from the state budget in proportion to the number of Muslim populations. In addition, all revenues of the foundations are collected by the Office of the Grand Mufti and distributed to the community according to their needs. Romania and Bulgaria became members of the EU in 2007. Our country became an EU member in 1981. While transitioning from communism to democracy, these two countries accepted the existence of minorities, tolerated different languages, religions, cultures, and identities in their lands and adopted laws that protected them. However, I regret to say that none of these are available in my country. What is the difference between these two countries and my country? The difference is that there is no goodwill in my country! Did the minorities living in Romania and Bulgaria, whether they were officially recognised as minorities or not, defy the territorial integrity of their countries and take over the country? When they were granted broad rights, did they abuse them and betray their country? No! They simply demanded their rights and freedoms for an equal and free life in their country. Therefore, the main point is a well-intentioned approach! There is no reason why the current issues cannot be solved the day our country recognises our existence, our identity and sees us as real wealth! Without good will, issues are not solved, new ones are added to existing ones every day. It is up to us to fight to make our voices heard in every field. As we always do!
