Greece should also be aware of her own Deficiencies

Press Office of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF)-
Witten, 28 September 2005

Press Release:

Greece should also be aware of her own Deficiencies

Upon the criticisms of the President of Republic of Greece Karolas Papoulias of Turkey regarding the subject matter of minority rights, the President of Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe(ABTTF) Halit Habipoglu made a statement, and said: “It is very common and even appreciated that the states warn each other related to the matter of human and minority rights. However, while my country Greece raises such claims, she should also not forget to acknowledge the rights of Turkish, Macedonian and Albanian minorities living within her boundaries.”


The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe(ABTTF) gave reply to the statement of the President of Republic of Greece Papulias related to the religious and minority rights in Turkey. Papulias had said that the religious and minority rights in Turkey should have been respected, and brought this up as a pre-condition of Turkey’s relationships with the European Union. He had also demanded that the seminary for theological education in Istanbul was opened, and the “ecumenical” status was entitled to the Patriarch. The President of ABTTF Halit Habipoglu replied to all of the claims of the President of Republic of Greece, and said: “It is regular and natural that the candidate countries are asked for such demands for the membership to the European Union which has become the geography of human and minority rights. However, these are obligations, which are effective not only for the candidate countries, but also for the member countries. Nevertheless, in my country Greece, which is a EU member since 1981, the minority rights are being violated, and my region Western Thrace is existing further as an island of rights’ violations.” Habipoglu added also: “After all of these that Greece today does not permit the minorities living within her boundaries to define themselves with their own ethnic identities, closes down the associations founded with ethnic names, does not recognize the authority of the Muftis(highest religious authority of a province) elected by the minority members within the framework of the rights international law ensures them and holds these offices and our associations under control through the persons she has appointed, brings our educational institutions to the state that they cannot function any more, and blocks every channel through various methods of electing independent political representatives by us, it is unaccountable that she is still able to find the right and power to criticize the third countries.”

Mr. Habipoglu attracted attention that the President of Republic of Greece had held the Office of Foreign Ministry, and should therefore know the minority very well, and said: “In Greece, the Foreign Ministry is the authorized institution for the Western Thrace Turks who are respectful citizens to the laws,. This is the clearest wording that a country considers its own citizens as hostages.” Habipoglu pointed out that it was impossible that the President was uninformed of the injustices the Western Thrace Turks subjected to, although he had worked as permanent undersecretary and then as minister in the Greek Foreign Ministry, and said: “Regarding the minorities, Mr. Papoulias should be able to demonstrate the same sensitiveness for the Western Thrace Turks, Macedonians and Albanians.”