European political party slams Greece for new probe into Turkish minority association

A European political party slammed Greece on Friday for a new probe launched into a Turkish minority association that organized a march for rights in July.

The march by the Xanthi Turkish Union (Iskece Turk Birligi-ITB), one of the oldest and most influential associations of Turkish minorities in Greece, had been attended by thousands of people and prominent figures who protested that Greece had not applied decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) which favored the minority.

The European Free Alliance (EFA) reiterated on Twitter its support for the ITB leaders, who were summoned Wednesday by authorities.

“Unjustified repression from the Greek state against the Western Thrace Muslim Turkish Minority has to end,” the party said.

It highlighted that the march for rights intended to reclaim official recognition of the ITB and reiterated that the ECHR has recognized the legitimacy of ITB claims.

But the Greek government has not implemented the ECHR decision, it said.

“Greece should embrace diversity and recognize the Xanthi Turkish Union, as decided by the ECHR,” said EFA.

-Decades-long struggle for rights

Under a 2008 ECHR ruling, the right of Turks in Western Thrace to use "Turkish" in the name of associations was guaranteed but Athens has failed to carry out the ruling, effectively banning the Turkish group’s identity.

Greece’s Western Thrace region is home to a Muslim Turkish community of around 150,000.

In 1983, the nameplate of the Xanthi Turkish Union (Iskece Turk Birligi) was taken down and the group was completely banned in 1986, on the pretext that “Turkish” was in its name.

To apply the ECHR decision, in 2017, parliament passed a law enabling banned associations to apply for re-registration, but the legislation included major exceptions that complicated applications.