As the FUEN TAG family, we hope that the year 2023 will bring peace, health, joy and prosperity, and we wish that the New Year will be full of hope and the good aspirations will be realised for the Turkic world and all of humanity.
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Greece has implemented various policies for the cultural assimilation of island Turks. The most important of these issues are the policies of culture and education. All Turkish schools providing bilingual education in Rhodes and Kos (İstanköy) were closed in 1972.
It does not seem likely for Rhodes and Kos (İstanköy) Turks to claim their rights to preserve Turkish cultural identity in Greece today. Fear is everywhere. It is well known that Turks even avoid saying openly that they are ''Turks''.
For this reason, Rhodes, Kos (İstanköy) and the Dodecanese Turks Culture and Solidarity Association (ROISDER) was established in 1996 by island Turks who immigrated or were forced to immigrate to the Republic of Turkey in the hope of finding themselves a new homeland and occupations based on quality education. The primary objective of the founders of the Association was to protect the cultural identty of their relatives and cognates in the islands.
ROISDER has been working to raise awareness at various international organisations in an effort to stop the cultural assimilation by Greece; moreover, the association continues its publishing activities with publications made in Turkish and English.
The book entitled ''Rodos ve İstanköy Türk Kültürü'' (Turkish Culture in Rhodes and Kos (İstanköy) was written to bring to light Turkish culture and Turkish identity that have been brought to the brink of destruction. The articles in the book mainly address the culture created by the Turks in the islands, in other words, cultural dimensions from architecture to Turkish Folk Dances and Music, from literature to needlework handicraft, from language, education and belief culture to folk medicine and food culture.
Furthermore, lives of intellectuals who were influential in the cultural life of the islands and also statesmen of Rhodes and Kos (İstanköy) origin who assumed key positions in the Republic of Turkey during both the Ottoman Period and the Early Republican Period were also addressed in this book.
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The 8th Annual Meeting of the Working Group of Turkic Minorities/Communities (TAG) of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) was realised on 11 December 2022.
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The 66th Annual Congress of the Federal Union of European Nationalies (FUEN) was held in Berlin, the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, from 29 September to 2 October 2022.
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At the occasion of the 13th anniversary of its establishment, “Ilinden”-Tirana which represents the umbrella organisation of the Macedonian minority in Albania awarded Halit Habip Oğlu, Vice President of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) and President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), with the “Ilinden” award 2022.
With the decision of “Ilinden”-Tirana President Nikolla Gjurgjaj and of the Board, Habip Oğlu along with the Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) - Canada and Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia in Tirana, Danco Markovski, were deemed worthy for the “Ilinden” award.
Every year, the "Ilinden" award goes to individuals and/or organisations that have made significant contributions to the improvement of the life, history and culture of the Macedonian national minority in Albania and the preservation of the authentic Macedonian culture.
FUEN Vice President Halit Habip Oğlu thanked “Ilinden”-Tirana President Nikolla Gjurgjaj and its Board who awarded him this important award, and wished them success in their works.
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As the FUEN TAG family, we would like to congratulate the new year of the Turkic world and all mankind with our warmest regards and wish that 2022 be a year full of health, and then peace and joy and where the pandemic will have less impact.
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The 7th Annual Meeting of the Working Group of Turkic Minorities/Communities (TAG) of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) was realised on 11 December 2021. Turkic minorities and communities that are members of FUEN attended through the online platform the meeting which was held online.
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The 3rd Thematic Seminar of the Working Group on Turkic Minorities/Communities (TAG) of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) was realised online on 24 September 2021. Turkic minorities and communities came together at the seminar, which was held on a virtual platform.
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The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) organised its 65th Annual Congress on 9-12 September 2012 in the city of Trieste, Italy, hosted by the Slovenian minority living in Italy. Western Thrace Turks from the Working Group of Turkic Minorities/Communities in FUEN (TAG) participated in the hybrid congress physically, while other TAG members participated online due to travel restrictions within the scope of covid-19 outbreak.
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), the Friendship, Equality and Peace (FEP) Party and the Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA) representing the Turkish community in Western Thrace, the Public Organisation of Meskhetian Turks “VATAN” and the Public Union Of Meskhetian (Ahıska) Turks living In Azerbaijan “VATAN” representing Meskhetian Turks, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People representing the Crimean Tatars, the Kosovo Youth Union Association representing the Turks in Kosovo and the Social Organisation for Fostering and Development of the Karachay-Balkar Traditions (Bars El) representing the Karachay-Balkars all attended the online seminar.
The Working Group of Turkic Minorities/Communities (TAG) in the Federal Union of European Nations (FUEN) organized its 2. thematic seminar online on 23 June 2021. The Turkic minorities and communities living in a wide geography from the Balkans to the Caucasus met at the seminar held on a virtual platform.
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