ANKARA - Komotini PASOK parliamentarians Galip Galip and Ahmet Mehmet demanded Turkish-Greek dialogue to contribute to Western Thracian Turks' using their rights stemming from agreements.
Galip and Mehmet released a statement on Friday and said that they came together with Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul in Athens on October 22.
The statement said that Komotini Mufti Ibrahim Serif and Xanthi Mufti Mehmet Emin Aga also attended the meeting with Gul and stated that Foreign Minister Gul received information on problems and situation of Western Thracian Muslim Turkish minority in the meeting.
Galip and Mehmet said in the statement that Turkish-Greek dialogue during Gul's meetings in Athens increased hope for sincere and transparent solutions to problems in mutual atmosphere of confidence.
Galip and Mehmet quoted Gul as saying that Turkish nation and government were always sensitive to rights and problems of Western Thracian Turkish minority.
The statement said Turkish minority delegation expressed their desire that the dialog between the two countries would contribute to ending practices that harmed freedom of religion and conscious and removed rights of Western Thrace Turkish minority taken under guarantee with international agreements. It added that they expressed hope that the dialog would also contribute to ending practices that destroyed unity and immunity of foundations that were historical heritage of the minority, and prevented their being administered by the minority.
The statement underlined that delegation expressed their desire that Turkey should develop its dialog with Greece in order to improve education of minority complying with existing agreements and taking into consideration European standards.
(EÖ-AÖ) 31.10.2003