Being in force for about 45 years it caused approximately 60 thousand Muslim Turks to lose the Greek citizenship without any notification. The Greek Minister of Interior on April 2005 announced that 46.638 Muslim Turks were deprived from the Greek citizenship until 1998. The Article 19 provides that; "A person of non-Greek ethnic origin leaving Greece without intention of returning may be declared as having lost Greek nationality. This also applies to a person of non-Greek ethnic origin born and domiciled abroad. His children living abroad may be declared as having lost Greek nationality if both their parents and the surviving parent have lost the same. The Minister of the Interior decides in these matters with the concurring opinion of the National Council." It is useful to note that the administrative authorities decided about the intention of the minority people, not the concerning ones themselves. Also, the decisions of denaturalization were not declared to the victims that is why most of them had missed the legal revision period to get their citizenships back. On 23 January 1998, this article was repealed by the Greek Parliament, which was welcomed both by the international community. as well as the Turkish minority. However, since the repeal was not retroactive, thousands of stateless Turkish minority people living both in Greece and abroad, e.g. Turkey, Germany, are still unable to regain their Greek citizenship. Ms/Mr. Chairperson, Therefore, we call upon the Greek State To respect the provisions of the 1992 Declaration and other human and minority rights instruments as well as 1923 Peace Treaty of Lausanne, To respect the collective usage of individual rights, such as the right to freedom of assembly and association, To make it possible reregistration and/or establishment of minority associations bearing the term Turk / Turkish in their titles, To introduce new measures for the minority members who lost their citizenship under Article 19 of Greek citizenship Code, which will enable them regain their Greek citizenship. Pervin Chairoula Member Address: Egnatias 75, 69100 Komotini-Greece Tel/Fax: +302531029705 E-mail: btaytd@otenet.gr URL: www.btaytd.com