The 60th annual congress of the Federal Union of European Nationalities takes place at the Western Thrace Turks in Greece from 13-17 May 2015

The FUEN Congress is organised in cooperation with the three organisations of the Western Thrace Turks, the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (BTAYTD) and DEB Partisi.

We expect more than 150 guests from 20 countries, representing more than 30 minorities.

“We look forward with great anticipation to the congress in Greece. The cradle of classic democracy is at the moment country that may tip the scales in regard to the construct of the European Union and at the same time Greece finds it very hard to deal with its own autochthonous minorities. We are glad that the Western Thrace Turks have worked very determined to become the host of a European congress of the minorities. We know that the situation here is not easy.

We will go there and speak about the things that are going on in Europe and in Greece. The purpose of a congress is always to engage in a direct dialogue and exchange of opinions. We minorities have many committed people and thinkers in organisations from all over Europe. We are a community of solidarity; a very good-natured one: a community that works towards living together peacefully. I think that we can convey that message in Western Thrace. Because the developments of 2014 and our own personal histories learn us that minorities are used time and again as cause for disputes and conflicts. The quest for the future perspective of the European community gives us the chance to become actively involved in the debate now”, said FUEN President Hans Heinrich Hansen.

In Greece, an EU member state, the minorities are struggling to achieve equality and recognition, foremost the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.

In 1923 the minority rights of 150,000 Turks were guaranteed in the Peace Treaty of Lausanne between Greece and Turkey and the region was conferred to Greece. However, the Greek state does not officially recognise the Western Thrace Turks as “Turkish minority”, but only as “Muslim minority”.

Until the present day associations of the Western Thrace Turks are not allowed to use the word “Turkish” in their name. This political harassment was taken before the European Court of Human Rights, but despite three judgments of the Court in 2008 against Greece, the problem still has not been solved. Also the autonomy in education and in religious affairs that is defined in the Treaty was abolished by the military dictatorship and the transition to democracy in 1974 and still has not been re-established.

The main topics of the congress will be the situation in Europe, the minority situation in Greece, and especially in relation to the Western Thrace Turks, the situation in Ukraine and the cooperation between minority organisations on the European level.