FUEN presents two written statements to the United Nations Human Rights Council

The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN), which has special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, presented two written statements for the 30^th Session of the UN Human Rights Council that took place between 14 September and 2 October in Geneva.

Having closely monitored the situation of the Turkish minority living on the Rhodes and Kos Islands of Greece, FUEN brought this issue on the table at the UN in order to attract attention to the problems of this minority. FUEN has recently carried out a fact-finding mission hosted by “Rhodes, Kos and the Dodecanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association” to the Rhodes and Kos Islands where it had the chance to observe the real situation of the Turkish minority. Following this mission, FUEN brought forward the problems of the Turkish people on Rhodes and Kos in the areas of education, religion and their foundations through its written statement presented to the UN Human Rights Council.

In its second written statement, FUEN put forward the problems regarding the repatriation process of the Meskhetian Turks to their homeland. Having closely monitored the issue of the repatriation of the Meskhetian Turks to Georgia for a long time, FUEN declared that around 400-450 thousand Meskhetian Turks are living away from their homeland today. After conducting several fact-finding missions to Georgia, FUEN observes that Georgia has failed in its commitment to resolve the repatriation problem within 10 years after its accession to the Council of Europe. Our member association the International Society of Meskhetian Turks paid a visit to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in January 2014 where it explained the shortcomings and deficiencies of the legislation passed in Georgia in 2007. FUEN underlines that the Georgian government must create a simplified and open procedure and show a strong political will. 

Full text version of the written statements

The repatriation question of the Meskhetian Turks to their homeland in Georgia

The problems of the Turks in Rhodes, Kos and the Dodecanese 

(UN Photo)