The petition to foundation has been rejected

Greece’s highest civil court (Arios Pagos) rejected the appeal petition of “Cultural Association of Turkish Women in Rhodope”, whose petition to foundation had been not accepted by the lesser court.

Athens News Agent (ANA) announced that the Supreme Court had rejected the appeal petition on the grounds that the aims of the association were not compatible with the provisions of Lausanne Treaty and had contrary characteristics to the Greek social order. The news agent announced also the Supreme Court had arrived the conclusion that the ruling of the lesser court rejecting the petition to foundation of Association of Turkish Women was not contrary to the European Convention on Hu-man Rights, Greek Constitution and the Greek code of laws.

According to the conclusion Nr. 586/2005 of the lesser court, “The name of the women association describes its members not only as belongings to a different language, religion and ethnicity, but also as foreign citizens. When it is also considered that the Greek women can be member to the association, too, which is stated in the rules and regulations of the association, it is to conclude this association considers its members as “Turks having Turkish national conscience”, but not as “Muslims”. There-fore, this association, in contrary to those associations of various ethnic groups, like the Armenian, Israeli etc ones acting in Greece and aiming to preserve their national traditions and languages legally and legitimately, aims to spread the Turkish ideals in Greece through its activities.” The Supreme Court of Greece also rejected the appeal of the Western Thrace Turks regarding the ban of the Turk-ish Union of Xanthi a short time ago with the justification that the association was contrary to the Lausanne Treaty. One of the most important problems the Turkish minority is confronted with is the denial of the Turkish identity by the Greek administration, since the Lausanne Treaty employs the general statement “the Muslim minority” for all those minorities without considering how these re-lated minority members have acquired their identity.

In spite of the own preference of the minority, which is determining itself as “Turk”, the insistence that it is a religious group contradicts to the understanding of contemporary democracy and human rights.

The non-permission of the foundation of the “Cultural Association of Turkish Women in Rhodope” after the ban of the Turkish Union of Xanthi in a member country to the European Union, in Greece will never be accepted by the Turkish minority.