Avrupa Batt Trakya Turk Federasyonu Federation der West-Thrakien Tiirken in Europa Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe EtTCOTraiitii OftOCTROVesill Toi5pKow AUTUClic Op 15 Federation des Tures de Thrace Occidentale en Europe NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations M ember of the Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP) of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Member of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) Oral Statement by Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) Human Rights Council Forum on Minority Issues Third session Geneva, 14-15 December 2010 Discrimination and positive measures/affirmative action Name of (Main) Contact. Person: Ms. Melek Ktrrnaci E-mail: melek.kirmaci@abttf. org, info@abttf.org Distinguished Participants, The Forum on Minority Issues offers a unique and essential opportunity to address the issues that continue to challenge States and minorities in all regions, and gives us the opportunity to speak up. The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe speaks on behalf of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, Greece, which is recognized by Greece on its religious background i.e. Muslim, that has already been stated by the Permanent Mission of Greece to the UN. Positive measures or affirmative action which aim to address inequality that prevents persons be longing to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities from meaningful and effective participation in economic life are often imperfect due to the non-recognition of minorities by Member States in their territory. The UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues, Gay McDougall, visited Greece in September 2008 to promote implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to Na tional or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. The Independent Expert visited Western Thrace including Xanthi and Komotini, where the Turkish Minority reside. The Independent Expert has recommended that the government should retreat from the dispute over whether there is a Turkish minority and place its full focus on protecting the rights to self-identification. The recognition of the existence of minority groups is important for minorities' full participation in society and development, and for the full realization of their rights., Formal recognition by the state makes possible the protection of those minority rights guaranteed in domestic legislation and in any international treaties to which a country is party. The Turkish people living in the islands of Rhodes (Rados) and Kos (istankoy) are not granted the official minority status on the ground that these islands were not part of Greece when the Lausanne Treaty of 1923 was signed. The minority rights enshrined in the Lausanne Peace Treaty of 1923 and European standards on minority rights should be applied to persons of Turkish ethnic origin of those islands. The fact that those islands were not part of Greece when the Lausanne Peace Treaty was signed should not be a reason to deprive the Turkish population on the islands of their minority rights, Since the Turkish Minority in Rhodes, Kos and the Dodecanese Islands are deprived of the right to have education in mother language, and it has been reported that the Turkish minority living in the islands are not even allowed to organize weekend schools or additional classes in Turkish.