Turkish Daily News, 96-05-05
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
TURKISH DAILY NEWS
5 May 1996
CONTENTS
[01] Western Thrace issue discussed at International W. Thrace Congress
[01] Western Thrace issue discussed at International W. Thrace Congress
By M. Akif Beki
Turkish Daily News
ISTANBUL- The second International Western Thracian Turks
Congress opened Saturday at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza to discuss
proposals for solving the Western Thracian problem. The two-day
congress aims at discussing the Western Thracian issue together
with all of the Western Thracian Turkish organizations around
the world. Putting the issue on the public agenda is being organized
by Western Thrace Turks Solidarity Association. Many Western Thracian
Turkish politicians and civilian organizations' representatives
from foreign countries and Turkish ministers and members of parliament
participated to the first session of the congress, expressing
their ideas and feelings.
The Western Thracian Turks' problem which came into existence
after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the
century has been a serious cause of conflict between Turkey and
Greece. Sometimes this conflict has come to the point of turning
into a war as it did during the recent Kardak crisis and officials
of both countries accuse each other of being the source of the
problem.
The second International Western Thracian Turks' Congress opened
at the same time that Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis was
visiting the Western Thrace area. It is not known whether this
is a coincidence or planned but the participants expressed how
much they wanted peace and brotherhood between the two communities.
This was the most frequently mentioned point at the congress which
was only first held in 1995 in Turkey.
"Our main aims are to present the violence acts against the
Western Thracian Turkish community's personal and communal rights
to the world public and to ask for support for our true claim"
expressed Taner Mustafaoglu, chairman of Western Thracian Turks'
Solidarity Association, in his opening speech.
Mustafaoglu pointed out that their struggle will continue within
the solidarity of the Turkic community and all of the Western
Thrace Turkish organizations around the world, especially in the
Germany and Australia.
Both partners of Turkic government are represented by the Motherland
Party's Lutfullah Kayalar, minister of finance and True Path Party's
(DYP) Yildirim Aktuna, the health minister.
"The Turkish government is most sincere and serious about
solving the Turk-Greek crisis as showed this recently," stated
Kayalar clearly while presenting Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz's
excuses for not being able to participate to the congress.
Aktuna, whose visit to Western Thrace last year caused a number
of incidents, said that he wants to visit Western Thrace again
soon as a peace ambassador. "We never forget this principle
of the Great Atatrk in foreign affairs -- peace in the home,
peace in the world. That is we have no claims on Greek lands,"
he pointed out.
Alparslan TrkeŸ, the leader of Nationalist Action Party
(MHP) and Tansu Ciller, former PM and leader of the DYP (DYP)
did not participate in the congress despite announcements previously
that they would attend.
Isik Ahmet, wife of Western Thracian Turkish leader Dr. Sadik
Ahmet, who had lost his life in a traffic accident, made a speech
expressing her husband's struggle. She added that "This struggle
will not end". Isik Ahmet has been leading the Democracy,
Equality and Peace Party in Greece since her husband's death.
The first session of the day ended after many speeches made by
Turkic politicians and leading figures of Western Thrace Turks.
The congress continued with group studies on different issues
such as economy, education, religion and political rights. The
study groups are to present their results Sunday in report form.
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