The 2025 OSCE Human Dimension Conference was held in Warsaw, Poland, from October
6-17. The Turkish Minority was represented at the conference by Kerem
Ampdourachimoglou, a human rights expert, on behalf of WTMUGA, and K. Engin
Soyyilmaz on behalf of the ABTTF.
The conference, organized by the OSCE Finland Presidency with the support of the OSCE
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), addressed the situation of
human rights and fundamental freedoms in the OSCE region.
WTMUGA first spoke on Monday, October 13th, at the conference’s sixth session, titled
“Combating racism, xenophobia, and discrimination; antisemitism; intolerance and
discrimination against Christians, Muslims, and members of other religions.” Addressing the
religious challenges faced by the Western Thrace Turkish Minority, WTMUGA stated that
Greece was appointing muftis and imams against the minority’s will and was attempting to
exert control over its institutions by interfering in their religious life.
On the same day, during the 7th session, titled “Rights of Members of National Minorities,
Roma and Sinti Issues,” WTMUGA took the floor again and discussed the problems faced by
the Turkish Minority in education. Addressing the annual closure of minority primary schools
due to student shortages, WTMUGA highlighted the dramatic decline in the number of
minority primary schools since 2010, citing figures. WTMUGA also noted that Greece had
opened schools for Greek students in Pserimos and Karditsa, but had not permitted the
opening of minority primary schools in Palaios Zigos, Amfia, and Avra, which had reached
sufficient enrollment.
The conference continued with the 8th session, titled “Equal opportunities for women and
men, preventing and combating violence against women and girls, and implementing the
OSCE Action Plan for the promotion of gender equality.” WTMUGA, who also spoke in this
session, noted that Turkish women and men in Western Thrace face limitations in
participating in economic life and benefiting from EU funds. WTMUGA stated that Western
Thrace Turks possess the democratic maturity to ensure women’s participation in social and
political life and noted that the Turkish Minority Party is one of only two political parties in
Greece with a female leader, and that Turkish women are also pioneers in human rights and
social struggles. On the other hand, they stated that leading women of the Turkish Minority
are constantly subjected to sexist insults online. WTMUGA stated that Turkish women in
Western Thrace will continue to contribute to Greece’s democratization process.
Finally, WTMUGA took the floor on the 10th session, titled “Freedom of peaceful assembly
and association, human rights defenders, national human rights institutions, freedom of
thought, conscience, religion or belief.” WTMUGA addressed the problems faced by the
Turkish Minority in the area of freedom of association, stating that Greece has not
implemented ECHR rulings concerning Turkish associations since 2008, and that following
the report published by the Committee of Experts established last year, it is unclear what
concrete steps the government will take to implement these rulings. It was also stated that
human rights defenders and community leaders in Western Thrace who openly express
Turkish identity and minority issues are being targeted.
