Name of the Organization: Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) Main contact person(s): Mr. Kurtuluş Engin Soyyılmaz E-mail(s): engin.soyyilmaz@abttf.org, info@abttf.org Human Rights Council Seventh Session of the Forum on Minority Issues on “Preventing and addressing violence and atrocity crimes targeted against minorities” 25-26 November 2014, Geneva Agenda item IV The rise of xenophobic violence in Greece and hate crimes against the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace We have been experiencing for the last years a rapid rise of far-right extremism and aggressive nationalism in Europe, which has been leading to violence and atrocity crimes against minorities. The situation is all the more serious as extremist political parties have gained an increased influence in national parliaments, governments and lastly in the European Parliament. A striking example for this very negative development is the rise of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn Party in Greece. The Golden Dawn has strengthened its position both at national and European levels after it had received 9.4 % of the popular vote at the European Parliament elections in May 2014 and won three seats. The economic crisis in Greece, which has been exploited by the Golden Dawn and other extreme rightist groups to gain popularity among the Greek population, has deepened xenophobia and intolerance against migrants and asylum seekers as well as autochthonous and ethnic minority groups in the country. The extreme rightist groups in Greece have also targeted against the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace of which status and rights have been established by the Lausanne Peace Treaty in 1923. Violence and hate-motivated attacks against persons, properties and places of worship belonging to the Turkish Minority have increased rapidly, which have created an environment of fear and anxiety among the persons belonging to the Minority. Besides, the persistent hate speech in the mainstream media with an explicit manifestation of hatred against Turkey makes the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, of which members are all Greek citizens, a vulnerable target for extreme rightist groups. On 29 March 2013, supporters of the extreme right Golden Dawn Party attacked Cüneyt Serdar belonging to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace at Xanthi City Centre, and beat him blatantly. On 13 April 2014, a pig’s head cut into pieces and left in blood was found in front of entry door of the masjid in the city of Alexandroupolis (Dedeağaç) of Greece. The masjid has been offering Qur’an lectures to the persons belonging to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace as well Furthermore, the ethnic Muslim Turkish community living on the island of Rhodes was also the target of hate crimes. On 23 February 2014, unknown individuals tore the Koran and threw Golden Dawn leaflets at the local cemetery in Rhodes. As stated in the draft recommendation 14 that States must adopt the necessary national legislation prohibiting and punishing discrimination on the ground of nationality, ethnicity, religion and language, we as the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) on behalf of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace welcome the positive measures, although too late, having been taken by the Greek