U.N. Economic And Social Council Grants Special Counsellor Status To Federation Of Balkan Turks

BURSA - United Nations (U.N.) Economic & Social Council granted the status of ''special counselor'' to the Federation of Balkan Turks Migrants and Refugees Associations (BGF).
Bursa Governor Oguz Kaan Koksal said, ''BGF has been restructured to improve relations between people who migrated from Bulgaria to Turkey, to contribute to their adaptation process and also to raise the living standards of our kinsmen who are living in Balkan countries. Federation will be a bridge between Turkey and countries where our kinsmen are actually living.''
BGF Chairman Turhan Gencoglu said that hundred of thousands of kinsmen had to migrate to Turkey due to policies pursued by former administrations in Bulgaria in mid-1980s.
''Our federation made our kinsmen's voice be heard in the world and succeeded to solve the problems of our kinsmen. We are glad that our efforts yielded favorable results. We have also undertaken a special task of NGO for the U.N. Economic and Social Council,'' Gencoglu stressed.
(EÖ-ULG) 11.08.2004