Once again Xanthi Turkish Union not restored by Greek courts despite ECtHR judgement
Despite the relevant European Court of Human Rights 2008 decision which had convicted Greece for violation of the Article 11 of the European Human Rights Convention, the Xanthi Civil Court of First Instance rejected the case of the Xanthi Turkish Union regarding the restoration demand of pre-1983 legal status. The “Turkish Union of Xanthi", had been banned for using the term ‘Turkish’ in its title. Greek authorities have judged that the association’s objective is “illegal and against public order” since it constitutes “an attempt to affirm the presence of a Turkish minority in Greece, while international Lausanne treaties recognise only the existence of a Muslim religious minority in Thrace, therefore it aims to promote the interests of a foreign state on Greek territory”. In its third report on Greece, ECRI encouraged the authorities to allow the registration of associations whose title includes the adjective “Turkish”.
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reported on July 2009 by the Greek RAXEN team |