The Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA)
participated in the 18th session of the United Nations (UN) Minorities Forum. Human
Rights Experts Dr. Pervin Chairoullcah and Kerem Ampntourahimoglou represented
WTMUGA at the Forum, held in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 27-28, 2025.
The Forum’s opening session, titled “The Contribution of Minorities to Diverse,
Stable, and Peaceful Societies,” was followed by three thematic sessions.
In the first thematic session, titled “Building Trust and Social Cohesion: Addressing
Obstacles to Peaceful Coexistence,” WTMUGA took the floor. The speeches
addressed the denial of the identity of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority, issues
related to education, the closure of minority schools, and freedom of association. A
call was made to Greece at the UN to recognize the identity of the Western Thrace
Turkish Minority, its human and minority rights, provide it with modern education,
ensure justice, and establish dialogue with the minority.
The forum continued with sessions titled “Recognizing the full contribution of
minorities to the economic, social, cultural, political, and institutional structure of
society” and “Strengthening the voices of minorities in peacebuilding, accountability,
and transitional justice processes.”
The WTMUGA delegation had the opportunity to meet with Antonia Luciani,
President of the Cooppieters Foundation, representatives of the Macedonian Minority
in Albania and Bulgaria, and representatives of the Hungarian Minority in Romania,
all in Geneva, as part of the Forum, and exchanged ideas on new projects.
The Forum concluded with a closing session where the final declaration was read.
