Western Thrace: A Turkish minority group in Western Thrace, Greece, has alleged that Athens "continues to ignore the rights violations and discrimination" faced by the community in the region, accusing the Greek government of "distorting the facts."

According to Anadolu Agency, this statement was released by the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) in response to a recent statement by the Greek Foreign Ministry. The Greek statement followed a post by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on platform X, commemorating the 98th anniversary of the Xanthi Turkish Union's (Iskece Turk Birligi) establishment.

The ABTTF criticized Greece for its interpretation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and its reluctance to engage in direct dialogue with the Turkish community in Western Thrace. The group emphasized their long-standing presence in the region, paralleling it to that of Greeks in Istanbul, Gokceada, and Bozcaada.

The group highlighted that Turkey had allowed the opening of a private Greek primary school in Gokceada in 2013, despite having only three students, contrasting it with Greece's discomfort regarding the celebration of the Xanthi Turkish Union's anniversary. The ABTTF also pointed out that Greece has failed to implement decisions by the European Court of Human Rights concerning associations like the Xanthi Turkish Union for 17 years, accusing Athens of "flagrantly violating" the community's freedom of association.