The honouring of membership obligations to the Council of Europe by Greece

Amendment No. 3 | Doc. 16470 | 28 September 2026

Signatories:

Mr Mehmet AKALIN, Türkiye, ALDE ; Mr Abdurrahman BABACAN, Türkiye, NR ; Mr Mustafa CANBEY, Türkiye, NR ; Ms Sena Nur ÇELİK KANAT, Türkiye, ALDE ; Ms Seda GÖREN, Türkiye, NR ; Ms Zeynep YILDIZ, Türkiye, NR ; Ms Pelin YILIK, Türkiye, NR

Origin

2026 - Fourth part-session

In the draft resolution, paragraph 10, after the second sentence, insert the following sentence:

"In this context, the Assembly urges Greece to implement the Court's judgments in the 18 year-old case of Bekir-Ousta and Others group v. Greece on the right to freedom of association of the Turks living in Western Thrace."

Explanatory note

This amendment aims to reflect the Strasbourg Court’s conclusion that distinguishing between the Muslim minority and the Turkish minority does not justify restricting freedom of association and that individuals and associations must be free to express their beliefs concerning their ethnic identity.