„Do not forget the Western Thrace Turks living in Europe“

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe, ABTTF, called attention of the Turkish candidates in the local elections before the coming local electionin Greece and re-quested them to add Western Thrace Turks into their programs.

Candidates are being determined before the coming local elections in Greece. A lot of Turkish origin candidates have announced their candidature especially in İskeçe (Xanthi) and Gümülcine (Komotini) for the municipality and governorship elections. The Turkish candidates are continuing their election campaigns fast until the election date, 15 October 2006.

Halit Habipoğlu, chairman of Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), emphasized the importance of that election for the Western Thrace Turkish Minority in means of expressing their politi-cal basic rights. Halit Habipoğlu continued as “Western Thrace Turkish Minority have the right toelect their local governors as a result of their population power and now we must consciously use this chance andgive our votes to the Turkish candidates in the election.”

ABTTF organized some election organizations during the previous general election and Western Thrace Turkish Minority members affected the result of the elections with their votes. Halit Habipoğlu contin-ued as “Local authorities have an increasing importance in the globalising world and institutionalizing process of European Union. Therefore, local elections should be taken as seriously as the general elec-tions and we must consciously use our votes. Western Thrace Turkish Minority members in Europe have identified themselves with the region and specially the ones in Germany, England, Netherlands and Aus-tria have some expectations from local authorities. We are going to support the Turkish candidates in the elections but specially the ones who take the demands of Western Thrace Turkish Minority members in Europe into considerations and give special importance to their problems in their political programs.”