European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) stated in its first report that “the redistribution of the electoral districts in 1994 had adversely influenced the chances for the election of Muslim prefects or prefectural councillors”. ABTTF calls upon the Greek State: - To immediately ratify the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, - To protect and promote full and effective participation of the Minority in political decisions on the national and regional level concerning the region in which the Minority lives, - To create a consultative mechanism, at national, regional and local levels which would ensure an institutionalised, open, sincere and continuous dialogue with representatives of the Turkish Minority, - To withdraw the 3% electoral threshold for an independent candidate to be elected, - To review and amend Law 2240/1994 taking Minority's demands into account and abolish the division of local districts into enlarged electoral districts which are now implemented in the prefectures of Rhodope and Xanthi. Thank you Ms. Melek Kırmacı