Discrimination on the basis of race

Greek Nationality Law

The treatment of minorities does not always meet civilized standards.
That this is not only the case outside Europe but also in the European Union shows the article below, in which the case of the people of Western Thrace in Greece is described.

Nihat Tsolak, Glasgow

Article 19 of the Greek Nationality Law states that "a person of non-Greek ethnic origin leaving Greece without the intention of returning may be declared as having lost his Greek nationality. This also applies to a person of non-Greek ethnic origin born and domiciled abroad. His minor children living abroad may be declared a having lost Greek nationality if both their parents or the surviving parent have lost the same". This Law was enacted after the Greek Civil War (1949) in order to prevent the Slavs from returning to Greece after the Communist defeat. The Law is still applied, openly violating the Greek Constitution. Article 4.1 of the Greek Constitution provides that all Greeks are equal before the Law. Article 4.2 also states that "withdrawal of Greek citizenship shall be permitted only in case of voluntary acquisition of another citizenship or of undertaking service contrary to national interests in a foreign country". Article 19 also violates the Concluding Document of the Vienna Follow-up Meeting t

Losing Nationality

In recent years Article 19 has been applied primarily on the Turks/Muslims of the Western Thrace area in Northeast Greece who are recognized as a "Muslim minority" by the Lausanne treaty (1923). The West Thracian Minority constitutes about 1.3 percent of the total Greek population and is the biggest non-ethnic minority in Greece. It should be noted that the Greek Government does not officially recognise the existence of any ethnic minority in Greece. Minority members prefer to call themselves Turks and the minority Turkish/Muslim but are referred to by the authorities as Greek Muslims.

Hundreds of people from the Western Thracian Minority have lost and keep loosing their nationality because they are non-ethnic Greek Citizens. The Department of State Report on Greece 1994 notes: "the Interior Ministry initiates proceedings under Article 19 on the basis of reports by local authorities in Greece or by Greek embassies or consulates abroad. It holds a hearing at which the affected person is not present, nor is the affected person notified of the hearing. Those who lose Greek

citizenship as a result of such hearings sometimes learn of this loss only when they seek to re-enter Greece. According to the Foreign Ministry, 123 persons lost Greek citizenship under Article 19 in 1993"

Anti-Thracian Policy

Because of the low education standards and the costs involved, people who lose their citizenship rarely appeal against it. The State Department report also mentions that despite assurances by the Greek officials to abolish Article 19, no actions have been taken by the Greek Parliament to this date. The Greek Government actively encourages emigration of the West Thracian Minority to Turkey and this Article can be considered as part of the Government policy against the Minority.

Thrace is one of the most underdeveloped areas in Greece. However it receives little attention from the Central Government. The West Thracian Turks/Muslims constitutes an underprivileged group in Greece. The deprivations and financial and social inequality between Greek Christians and Minority members in Thrace is obvious to anyone who visits the area. Education standards for the Minority are deplorable. Because of the onerous entrance exams there are very few students from the minority studying at Greek universities. Most of them prefer to go to Turkey for higher education, risking to lose their Greek/European citizenship. Also most of them experience that it is impossible to come back and work in Greece, because their Greek is poor or their diplomas are not recognised.

There is a definite lack of opportunities for the Minority members compared to the Greek Christians. The Minority villages are mostly run down and in dire condition compared to Greek Christian villages. This is mainly due to the fact that from 1965 to 1991 the Greek Government did not give permission to Turkish/Muslim minority members to build or repair their houses. Greek officials claim that the Minority members are not interested in repairing or building new houses because they prefer to invest in Turkey. Although this is not the case, permission for repair and building of new houses are hardly ever granted to the Minority members.

EU-Unworthy

Due to the publication of the Helsinki Watch reports on the minority and growing interest by Human Rights organizations there have been rapid changes in the treatment of the Minority by the Greek government. The West Thracian Turkish/Muslim minority has been living peacefully with their Greek Christians neighbours, men from the Minority have served in the Greek National Services, and over the years they have fought for the common cause and even given their lives during the Second World War and Greek Civil War.

The existence of such a discriminatory law and unequal treatment, undermines the peaceful cohabitation of Greeks and Turk/Muslims in Thrace. The Greek Parliament should take immediate action against this Article, as the existence of such a Law in a modern EU member country is impermissible.

This article is, besides personal experience, based on US Department Reports and the Helsinki Watch Report "Destroying Ethnic Identity. The Turks of Greece" by L. Whitman (August 1990).

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