20 November 2014 – The first annual meeting of the FUEN Working Group of the Turkic Minorities will take place in Ankara, Turkey, from 20 until 23 November 2014.

On the initiative of FUEN Vice President Halit Habip Oğlu and with support from his member organisation, the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), the Working Group of the Turkic Minorities will meet under the umbrella of FUEN for the first time. 

The new Working Group will represent the interests of the Turkic minorities in Europe and address their problems.

Nine minority organisations from six countries will participate at the first annual meeting of the Working Group of the Turkic Minorities in Ankara, Turkey: the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) from Germany; the Friendship Equality and Peace Party (DEB) and the Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (BTAYTD) from Greece; the Rhodes, Kos and the Dodacanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association from Turkey; the International Society of Meshketian Turks “VATAN” and the Social Organisation for Fostering and Development of the Karachay-Balkar Traditions “Bars El” from Russia; the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People and the Association of Crimean Karaites from Ukraine and the Association of Meskhetian Turks “VATAN” from Azerbaijan. 

The programme includes discussions on the situation of the Turkic minorities in the different countries and planning future projects within the Working Group.

Next to the Working Group of the Turkic Minorities there are also Working Groups of the German and the Slavic Minorities under the umbrella of FUEN.