Çelik Kanat Criticizes Greece for 'Double Standards' in the European Council

Drawing attention to the double standards displayed by European institutions regarding the implementation of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, Çelik Kanat emphasized that the approach that has not produced results for years should be abandoned. Çelik Kanat called on European institutions to take concrete steps that will produce results in order for Greece to implement the ECHR decisions and fulfill its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

In his speech, Çelik Kanat drew attention to the violations against the identity, education and religious freedom of Western Thrace Turks, as well as Greece's serious human rights violations against immigrants and refugees. Reacting to Greece's failure to implement the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the MP also gave a clear message to European institutions:

"Double standards should be eliminated. The same obligations should apply to every member state."

THERE IS A DECISION FOR WESTERN THRACE TURKS, NO IMPLEMENTATION

At the center of the speech was the Bekir Usta case group, which revealed the obstacles to Western Thrace Turks organizing with their own identities. The case file covers the dissolution of the Xanthi Turkish Union and the non-registration of the Rhodope Province Turkish Women's Cultural Association and the Meriç Province Minority Youth Association. Çelik Kanat emphasized that although almost twenty years have passed since the ECHR ruled that the freedom of association was violated, Greece has still not implemented the decisions.

The first ECHR decision in the Bekir Usta case was given in 2007. The fact that the file is still on the implementation control agenda of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in June 2026 reveals the long wait for Western Thrace Turks in their search for rights.

Çelik Kanat said, "Greece continues to violate rights by not implementing the ECHR decisions," and emphasized that the issue is not just about the violations that occurred in the past.

A recent example of the problem was the Xanthi Province Turkish Women's Cultural Association. Examining the rejection of the association's registration application, the ECHR ruled that the freedom of association was violated in its decision Sağır et al. / Greece dated 24 June 2025. The court stated that distinguishing between the recognized "Muslim minority" and the unrecognized "Turkish minority" was not sufficient to refuse registration, and that a concrete threat to public order could not be demonstrated. The decision once again revealed that the obstacles to the organization of Western Thrace Turks with a "Turkish" identity continue today.

THE NUMBER OF TURKISH MINORITY PRIMARY SCHOOLS DECREASED FROM 194 TO 76

Çelik Kanat also criticized Greece's closure of Turkish minority schools in Western Thrace and its refusal to allow the opening of bilingual kindergartens from the PACE podium. Stating that the right to education has been seriously violated, Çelik Kanat emphasized that the problems should be solved in consultation with minority representatives and the violations should be eliminated.

According to data provided by the European Western Thrace Turkish Federation, there were 194 minority primary schools in the region in 2008. According to the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated July 19, 2026, the number decreased to 76 with the closure of eight more primary schools.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the closure of schools and the new obstacles imposed on the first grade registrations of the Xanthi 1st Turkish Minority Primary School violate the minority's right to education and the provisions of the Lausanne Peace Treaty.

The problem is not limited to primary schools. The inconclusive applications made since 2011 to open bilingual minority kindergartens that will provide education in Turkish and Greek show the devastating impact of Greece's oppressive practices on Western Thrace Turkish children.

Elected muftis are not recognized, religious activities are brought to the judiciary

Çelik Kanat emphasized that Greece's failure to recognize the elected muftis of Western Thrace Turks for years is a serious violation of religious freedom.

In its statement dated April 8, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Greece persistently continues to disregard the rights and freedoms of our compatriots guaranteed by the Lausanne Peace Treaty by not recognizing the elected muftis. The Ministry noted that the process of determining the mufti in Dimetoka was carried out without consulting with the representatives and institutions of the minority, and similar practices were used in Rhodope and Xanthi.

Greece had previously punished the muftis elected by Western Thrace Turks on charges of "office usurpation" for carrying out religious activities. In the Şerif v. Greece and Aga v. Greece cases, the ECHR ruled that these punishments violated freedom of religion.

LAUSANNE CANNOT BE A JUSTIFICATION FOR THE DENYING OF TURKISH IDENTITY

Çelik Kanat also opposed the Greek authorities' claim that the term "Muslim minority", not "Turkish minority", was included in the Treaty of Lausanne as a reason for not recognizing the ethnic identity of the Western Thrace Turks.

Referring to the report of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on the subject, Çelik Kanat stated that Lausanne does not prevent the recognition of other minorities or people from expressing their own ethnic identities. Emphasizing that non-recognition of Turkish ethnic identity also restricts the rights to language, culture, religion and association, he said: "Greek citizenship and Turkish ethnic identity are not mutually exclusive concepts." he said.

THE PROBLEMS OF THE TURKISH COMMUNITY IN GREECE ARE NOT LIMITED TO WESTERN THRACE

The rights problems of the Turkish community in Greece are not limited to Western Thrace. According to the data of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, approximately 6 thousand Turks living in Rhodes and Kos cannot benefit from minority status, and there are no schools providing Turkish education on the islands. The Turkish community in Thessaloniki faces problems with places of worship and cemeteries.

CALL FOR SANCTIONS ON TURKEY, CONCRETE NON-SANCTIONS REPORT TO GREECE

The background of Çelik Kanat's criticism of double standards towards European institutions is the PACE's political attitude, which varies from country to country, in the implementation of ECHR decisions. While PACE called for sanctions in the 2023 resolution adopted on Turkey, it did not put forward a concrete political measure that would end years of oppression against the Turks of Western Thrace in the Greece resolution adopted on September 29, 2026.

Although the legal characteristics of the files differ, the binding nature of ECHR decisions does not vary depending on the country. Although the PACE Greece report records violence against immigrants, racist police practices and unimplemented ECHR decisions, it does not call for any sanctions against Greece's serious human rights violations. The fact that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which oversees the implementation of ECHR decisions, and the PACE, which has the responsibility of political supervision, have not taken concrete steps for years reveals double standards.

REFUGEE DEATHS AND PUSH-BACKS IN THE AEGEAN ARE ALSO ON THE AGENDA

Çelik Kanat also brought Greece's serious human rights violations against immigrants and refugees and the problem of impunity that has been going on for years to the PACE agenda. The deaths, unlawful pushbacks and practices of the Greek coast guard in the Aegean reveal the severe consequences of Athens' border policy on human life.

In the disaster off the coast of Farmakonisi in 2014, in which 11 women and children lost their lives, the ECHR ruled that Greece violated its obligation to protect life and that the deaths were not investigated effectively. The death of 15 people as a result of the collision between the Greek coast guard ship and a migrant boat off the coast of Chios Island on February 3, 2026, once again brought Greece's practices at sea to the international human rights agenda.

One of the most severe consequences of Greece's border policy occurred off the coast of Pylos in 2023. As a result of the sinking of the Adriana boat carrying approximately 750 people, only 104 people survived, while more than 600 people lost their lives. International human rights organizations documented serious violations by Greek authorities during the rescue process and called for effective investigation and accountability.

Çelik Kanat also reminded the ECHR's A.R.E./Greece decision dated January 2025. The court found that there were strong indications that there were systematic pushbacks from the Meriç region to Turkey during the period of the events. Another dimension of the picture is impunity. According to the PACE report, none of the 42 administrative investigations carried out against the Greek coast guard for fundamental rights violations in the 2019-2025 period resulted in disciplinary sanctions. In the same period, no disciplinary sanctions were imposed on the files regarding the responsibility of police officers in pushbacks.

Çelik Kanat emphasized that the pressures created by migration management cannot legitimize practices that endanger human lives, unlawful pushbacks and violations of fundamental rights. Drawing attention to racist police practices against Romani citizens, Çelik Kanat emphasized that European institutions should take concrete steps to end the violations in Greece and ensure accountability.

CALL TO EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS: WARNINGS MUST PRODUCE RESULTS

At the end of the speech, Çelik Kanat said that PACE should insist on determining a clear timetable for the full implementation of the ECHR decisions and Greece's fulfillment of its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The failure of Western Thrace Turks to gain their rights despite ECHR decisions that have not been implemented for nearly twenty years, and the ineffective attitude of European institutions in the face of Greece's serious violations against immigrants, reveal the hypocrisy of the West. Reporting violations is meaningless as long as violations continue and grievances are not remedied.

Çelik Kanat concluded his speech with the following words: "Double standards should be eliminated. The same obligations should apply to every member state."