12 February 1997       Doc. 7759

ADOC7759

MOTION FOR AN ORDER

on the state of human rights in Greece,

and particularly in Thrace

presented by Mrs ERR and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1.       The Treaty of Lausanne of 24 July 1923 contained an agreement between Greece and Turkey on a compulsory exchange of the Turkish population in Greece and the Greek population in Turkey. This agreement did not, however, concern the Muslims living in Thrace nor the Orthodox Greeks of Istanbul. It included, moreover, a commitment by both states to respect religious freedom and the right of these minorities to use their mother tongues.

2.       Despite their ethnic diversity, the Muslims of Thrace, of Turkish origin but with Greek nationality, are undoubtedly a minority, a religious minority in the terms of the Treaty of Lausanne.

3.       The Parliamentary Assembly, and its Sub-Committee on Human Rights in particular, has received a number of petitions from Muslims in Thrace with Greek nationality, alleging violations of their rights, referring to the failure to recognise their rights as a religious minority, the discrimination against them by the Greek authorities, and persecutions including restrictions on owning real estate, on using their mother tongue at school and for administrative purposes, on access to education and health care, the deterioration of their cultural and religious heritage and unjustified interference by the state authorities in the appointment of muftis.

4.       Furthermore, representatives of the Muslim minority have referred to the abusive application of Section 19 of the Nationality Act, which stipulates that: "Any Greek national leaving Greece with the intention of settling abroad for good may be deprived of Greek nationality (...)". It appears that this discriminatory provision was introduced and applied during the dictatorship in order to force or keep members of the Muslim minority out of the country. Despite the pledge made by the Greek authorities to repeal it, this provision is still in force and has only heightened the Muslim minority's awareness of the situation. The Assembly calls for this seriously discriminatory measure to be revoked.

5.       The Assembly requests its Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to organise an information mission to Thrace to carry out an on-the-spot investigation into the truth behind often contradictory claims and, after its visit, report back to it.

Signed: 1

Err, Luxembourg, SOC

Bindig, Germany, SOC

Clerfayt, Belgium, LDR

Columberg, Switzerland, EPP

Fernandez de la Vega, Spain, SOC

Frunda, Romania, EPP

Gelderblom-Lankhout, Netherlands, LDR

Kirkhill, United Kingdom, SOC

Lentz-Cornette, Luxembourg, EPP

Verspaget, Netherlands, SOC

Wohlwend, Liechtenstein, EPP

1 ¹       SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP: Group of the European People's Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR: Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: Not registered