Minority demands a new education policy February 26, 2009
Posted by Yilan in Human rights abuses.Tags: Makedonya, Trakya
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The Turkish Minority of Western Thrace does have a host of problems in the field of education. The President of Western Thrace Minority Education and Culture Company(BAKEŞ) Galip Galip declared that initiatives in the field of education were constantly hindered. Answering the questions of minority newspaper Gündem, Galip told that a new education policy is essentially needed to be established.
The demand of establishment of a Minority secondary school in Domruköy has been rejected
Galip Galip told that they applied to the Sirkeli municipality for appropriation of land for a Minority secondary school in the region of Sirkeli, and that the application was rejected by the Eastern Macedonia- Thrace Regional General Secretary on the grounds that there was no reference that there was a school necessity in the region and that BAKES was a non-profit company, despite the approval of local council. After necessary corrections were made in the application, Galip stated that they were re-applied. However, the application was rejected once again on the ground that there was no decision approved by the local council of Domruköy. However, Galip Galip reminds that the pasture in Tuzcuköy was given over to Panathrakikos team as training ground despite the objection by the local council. Therefore, Galip evaluates the recent decision a somewhat prevention of the establishment of the school.
The foundation of a day care center in Xanthi is being prevented
Concerning the problem of pre-school education which has become a contracted issue since the Minority’s demand of bilingual kindergartens is being rejected by the Greek authority, Galip Galip stated that BAKEŞ demanded four different places from the Xanthi Community Authority for the day care center after the day care center under the Western Thrace Minority Graduates Association were closed down. However, Galip told that their demand was rejected.
Minority educational system should be reconstructed
Education with cronical problems is one of the most difficult problem in Western Thrace due to the long-established Greek state and government policy. The Minority educational system with no dialogue with the Minority which lacks necessary reforms for a modern education should be reconstructed. Galip stated that promises given to the Minority were not fulfilled and added that pedagouges and representatives of the Minority should develop a new educational strategy.
The President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe Halit Habipoğlu expressed his views as follows: “Education is a chronically problematic field in Western Thrace. The Minority does face with a variety of problems in the field of education. However, initiatives taken towards the solution of the problems have not been replied in the level of state and governments. The recent example to this situation is the neglect of the demand of bilingual minority kindergartens by the Greek government. The Minority educational system is very much far away from a “modern and European model“ of education, contrary what the Greek state and government do claim. The minority educational system needs to be reconstructed on the basis of tolerance and equality with an understanding of mutual respect and dialogue. As everbody knows, the child’s right to education is an unavoidable and unimpeded human right. A “modern and European“ model of minority education which is claimed to exist in Western Thrace can only be established with such understanding“.
Troubles of Turks in Greece February 25, 2009
Posted by Yilan in Human rights abuses.Tags: Bati Trakya, Yunanistan
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Faruk Sen, the director of the Center for Studies on Turkey located in Essen, Germany submitted to Gerhard Stoudmann, the general manager of the Democratic Institutions and Human Rights office of the Organization for Security and cooperation in Europe, and Beate Winkler, the chairperson of the European Racism Monitoring Commission, a report regarding the situation of the Turkish minority in Greece.
The report states that the Turkish born Greek citizens with minority status in Greece continues to receive pressures, This minority living in western Thrace increased due to the accelerating tension in the Turkey-Greece relations.
Emphasizing that the Turkish minority in Greece was forced to immigrate and were denied their “minority status” but were called “Greek Muslims,” the report also states that a change was observed in the Greek policy regarding the Turkish minority since last year.
Since George Papandreu, successor to Theodoros Pangalos, was appointed as the foreign affairs minister, the relations with the Turkish minority had begun to improve with Papandreu’s liberal attitude towards Turkey the report mentioned.
Papandreu was said to have actually said the words “Turkish minority” for the very first time instead of the usual title “Greek Muslims.” but report also states that little progress in providing better living standards to the Turkish minority was made and that there were some important prevailing problems.
‘Turkish minority is not treated equally’
The Turkish minority is thought to have two major problems: that the rights were arbitrarily granted by the Greek government and that the minority was not dealt with on equal terms as the Greeks. The report noted that Turks were granted the rights to have a driving or hunting licence and a certificate to buy real estate only after 80 years.
The report states that although the military forbidden zone in northwestern Thrace was lifted, foreigners and especially Turkish journalists, were not allowed in the area.
Also emphasized in the report were the facts that Turkish teachers were not allowed to work and Turkish books were not allowed to be used as directed by the Greek government and that the Turkish minority was not allowed access to European Union aid or to loans by the Greek banks.
Turkey ready for EU by 2013 February 23, 2009
Posted by Yilan in Human rights abuses.Tags: EU, Turkiye
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- Turkey has launched a four-year plan aimed at reforming its economy and other areas required for the country’s EU membership, Istanbul daily ‘Hurriyet’ quotes Babacan as saying. - Three or four years from now Turkey will be different than it is today, the FM said. Ankara is aiming to comply with EU accession criteria by 2013. Brussels however has not endorsed Turkey’s target date. Turkey began EU membership talks in October 2005. It has so far opened discussions on only 10 of the 35 policy areas that candidates must successfully negotiate. Ankara first began this process in the early 1980s under President Turgut Ozal and other reforms aside, the biggest sticking point against its membership has been the fact that it is Muslim majority nation and would be the first Muslim country in the ranks of the EU. - Turkey will continue implementing European Union reforms despite efforts by certain countries to slowdown the membership process, Babacan said. |
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan says his country will be prepared to join the 27-nation European Union by the year 2013.Gligorov family calls cops on Greek ‘bloggers’ February 23, 2009
Posted by Yilan in Human rights abuses.Tags: bloggers, Makedonya, Mental patient
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Gligorov’s family shocked by their visit called the cops. Two policemen from the “Aerodrom” police station appeared at the family’s apartment to make a report. By then the Greek activist had already left.
Gligorov’s mother was stunned by the whole situation.
-These people are incredibly unethical. Who would use an ill men for political gains, and these people came all the way from Greece, for what? I am still shocked they even showed up at my apartment. – says Gligorov’s mother.
Because the complaint was launched against foreign citizens, the Ministry of Interiot had been notified which in turn may or may not notify the Greek Communications Office in Skopje. Athens has no Embassy in Macedonia as full diplomatic relations have not been established between the two countries.
Greeks visit mental patient. February 23, 2009
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Around thirty Greek activists for human rights arrived today at the Psychiatric Clinic “Bardovci” in Skopje to show their support for Vladimir Gligorov (MiNa isn’t sure of his real name, he goes by 4 different names). The Greeks claimed they knew Vladimir because they blogged with him.
No police around the hospital, nor people from the Guiness Group of Records to note what seems to be the oldest group of bloggers ever assembled.
The elderly Greek activists have said they have no political background despite the information they were sent and supported by every major political party in Athens. Their trip was paid for by the “Political Renaissance” party, whose chief Paptemelis complained in Brussels that the ‘founder of Slav-Hellenic Association’ was jailed for his pro Greek views.
At the moment, the Greek activists are hanging around the hospital, being denied entry.
“This is a psychiatric institution, we don’t let anyone, especially a large group of people just come in here. These people need to get permission from the Ministry of Health first.” says the head of Bardovci, Pavlina Vaskova.
MiNa finds, Gligorov’s family is especially upset that Greece has used their ill son for political goals, and the fact that Greeks are visiting him. MoI has no comment on this, while the Hospital says this is the third time in the last five years Gligorov’s family had contacted the hospital and the police asking for help.
