Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA) and European
Western Thrace Turks Federation (ABTTF) participated in the UN 17th Forum on Minority
Issues. At the forum held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 28-29 November 2024, WTMUGA was
represented by Human Rights Expert Kerem Abdurahimoglou and ABTTF was represented
by International Relations Director Melek Kirmaci. The forum started with the opening
speeches of UN Human Rights Council President Omar Zniber, UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights Volker Turk and UN Special Rapporteur on Minorities Nikolas Levrat.
The forum addressed the following topics in four separate sessions: “Minority Representation
in Public Spheres”, “Minority Representation in Education”, “Minority Representation in
Media-Social Media”, and “Minority Representation in Culture and Arts”. Speaking at the
second session of the forum titled “Minority Representation in Education”, WTMUGA
conveyed the problems faced by the Western Thrace Turkish Minority in the field of
education. WTMUGA stated that Greece has increased its control and interventions over
minority education, which should be autonomous according to the 1923 Lausanne Peace
Treaty, and that the latest example of this is the appointment of principals to Minority Middle
Schools and High Schools without consulting the Executive Boards.
WTMUGA also touched upon the building problem of the Xanthi Minority Secondary and
High School in its speech, and stated that Greece closes Turkish Minority Primary Schools
every year, contrary to international law.
WTMUGA invited the UN to encourage Greece to recognize the minority’s Turkish ethnic
identity and respect the minority’s educational autonomy. Finally, the UN Special Rapporteur
on Minorities was invited to Western Thrace to identify the problems faced by the Turkish
minority on site.
The forum ended with the closing speech of the UN Special Rapporteur on Minorities Nikolas
Levrat.
