3rd annual Meeting of the Turkic Minorities inside FUEN held in Berlin

The Third Meeting of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) Turkish Minorities / Communities Working Group (TAG) was held on 14-17 November 2016 in Berlin, the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany. FUEN President Loránt Vincze attended the meeting which was held in the German Federal Ministry of the Interior with logistic support of the FUEN Working Group of German Minorities (AGDM).

Turks in Kosovo and Bulgaria attended the meeting for the first time

The meeting brought together Turkish minorities from different countries of Europe. Representing the Western Thrace Turkish Minority, The European Western Thrace Turkish Federation (ABTTF), The Friendship Equality Peace (DEB) Party and The Western Thrace Minority Higher Education Association (BTAYTD), representing the Ahıska Turks, Meskhetian Turks Association of "VATAN" and "VATAN" Public Union of Ahiska Turks Living in Azerbaijan, "Bars El" for strengthening and developing Karachay-Balkar traditions on behalf of Karachay-Balkar Turks, Crimean Tatar National Assembly  representing Crimean Tatars, representing Crimean Karaims the Crimean Karaims  Union joined the annual 3rd meeting. In addition, the Kosovo Young Association of Kosovo and the Kardzhali Turkish Culture and Art Association from Bulgaria attended the meeting for the first time to represent Turkish minorities in the Balkans.

FUEN President Lorant Vincze listened to the problems of Turkish minorities/communities and promised the support of the FUEN 

FUEN Vice President Halit Habip Oglu gave an opening speech in the beginning of FUEN TAG 3rd Annual Meeting. Then, FUEN President Loránt Vincze informed participants about the work of FUEN and said that FUEN will continue to support Turkish minorities and communities. The representatives of the FUEN TAG member institutions thanked for the support given by FUEN and they were able to communicate the problems they encountered in their countries directly to the President of FUEN and voiced their expectations towards the FUEN.

In addition, FUEN AGDM Coordination Officer Eva Adel Penzes participated in the meeting and presented the work of FUEN AGDM.

Participants shared their problems regarding the right to learn their mother language and to education in their mother tongue

In the first session participants of the organizations made a presentations about their activities in their minorities / communities which was held last year. Cengiz Kovac, President of the Kosovo Young Alliance Association and Seyhan Hilmi Mehmet, Vice-President of the Kardzhali Turkish Culture and Art Association from Bulgaria which is not yet a member of the FUEN, attended the meeting. They introduced the Turks in the historical framework in Kosovo and Bulgaria and they voiced the problems they face in the countries they live in.

In the session titled " Right to learn mother tongue and Education in mother tongue", Mevlüt Işık, Press Counsel of  "VATAN" Public Union of Ahiska Turks Living in Azerbaijan, Mehmet Mehmet , Secretary General of BTAYTD and Elvin Kadyrov from the Crimean Tatar National Assembly gave presentations on education in the mother tongue. Participants discussed the right to learn native languages ​​and education in the mother tongue in the countries where they live in and shared their activities with the civil society representatives on the protection of the mother tongue and the education on the mother tongue.

FUEN TAG statutes have been adopted unanimously  

FUEN Vice-President Halit Habip oglu gave a presentation about statute changes and workgroup statutes in the 2015 Congress of FUEN. Following the presentation, the statutes issued by FUEN were read individually and presented to the participants for approval. As a result of the evaluations made, FUEN TAG statutes were unanimously adopted. The meeting was closed after  the participants' opinions and proposals about the activities of the year of 2017 and the road map were discussed.