Announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding a Turkish post on the Muslim minority in Thrace (14.04.2025)https://t.co/nqAlDYqrGu pic.twitter.com/7KYn6zSpOH
– Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@Greecemfa) April 14, 2025
The wishes of the Turkish Foreign Ministry in the “Turkish Union of Xanthi”
In a post on Twitter, the Turkish Foreign Ministry wished “Happy Birthday” to “Turkish Union of Xanthi».
As he writes: “Happy birthday to the 98 years of the Turkish Union of Xanthi, the oldest organization of the Citizens of the Citizens of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace! We support the justified efforts and the honest struggle of the Union to use its name, in accordance with the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. “
Happy 98th anniversary of the Xanthi Turkish Union, the oldest non -governmental organization of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority!
In accordance with the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, we support the justified efforts and honorable struggle of the Union to use its own name. pic.twitter.com/Wl6Famh5D0
– TC Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@TC_Disisleri) April 14, 2025
It is recalled that the Turkish Union of Xanthi is one of the clubs of the Muslim minority of Greek Thrace. Founded in 1927, the organization was banned by the Greek authorities in 1987 and 1999. In 2008, a decision by the European Court of Human Rights condemned Greece to violate its freedom cooperative.
The Greek judicial authorities refused to re -legalize it, on the basis of its statutes and its actions. The Union has been accused of relations with the Turkish Party of Nationalist Movement and the far -right terrorist organization of the Gray Wolves.
The organization was founded in 1927 under the name “House of the Turkish Youth of Xanthi”. In 1936 it was renamed, at the request of the Association to the Court of First Instance of Xanthi, to a Turkish Union of Xanthi, which is its current name.
In November 1983, Xanthi Prefect Fanis Donas lodged a request for interim measures to the One -Member Court of First Instance of Xanthi, calling for the use of the term “Turkish”, which was accepted. In January 1984, Donas filed a lawsuit for the dismantling of the union at the Multi -Court of First Instance of Xanthi for reasons of public order. In March 1986, Dona’s lawsuit was accepted on the grounds that the compatibility of the Union’s statutes with the principles of the Greek state could not be judged, because in its statutes it was not clarified what Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s social reforms were.
In November 1987, along with other Turkish organizations in Western Thrace, the Turkish Union of Xanthi was banned because, according to the Thrace Court of Appeal, the word “Turkish” in its titles as a description of the members of the Muslim minority of Western Thrace threatened to be used by public order.
The organization appealed against this ruling in the Supreme Court of Greece. In 2005, the Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of the Agency, which according to the court “is an attempt to confirm the presence of a Turkish minority in Greece”, although these decisions were found to be violating Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Subsequently, the Turkish Union of Xanthi appealed against the European Court of Human Rights in the European Court of Human Rights. On March 27, 2008, the European Court of Justice considered it to be contrary to the contract the non -recognition of the “Turkish” minority associations, affecting the freedom of expression and cooperative.
The Greek government appealed against this decision and refused to recognize the Turkish Union of Xanthi, but the European Court of Human Rights confirmed its first decision. In December 2008, the Thrace Court of Appeal, which rejected the Union’s re -registration, stated that the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights was non -binding and that the court had neglected to take into account the “political” parameters in its ruling, citing the judgment.
On 10-10-2017 the Hellenic Parliament voted a provision providing for that even after the creation of a judgment, the Greek courts must change decisions opposed to those of the European Court of Human Rights. The provision allows the Turkish Union of Xanthi and similar associations to seek the change of the decision.
Donald Trump: What ultimately asks the rest of the planet and puts duties