Turks of Western Thrace accuse Greece of double standards

The Union of Turks of Western Thrace in Europe has accused the Greek government of applying double standards regarding minority rights. The accusation follows recent statements by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who asserted that protecting the rights of the Greek minority in Albania involves both bilateral relations and European Union legal frameworks.

The Union argues that while Athens advocates for Greek rights abroad, the Turkish minority in Western Thrace continues to face restrictions on their rights and freedoms. They claim the Greek government does not officially recognize the Turkish identity of the minority, instead classifying them as a religious minority. Furthermore, the Union noted that associations containing the word ‘Turkish’ in their names have faced prohibitions.

The statement also highlighted that Greece has failed to implement rulings from the European Court of Human Rights issued in 2007 and 2008, which found violations of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights regarding the freedom of assembly and organization. The Western Thrace region is home to approximately 150,000 members of the Turkish Muslim minority.