Discussion: Parlementaires de la minorité turque de Grèce
There are presently two Turkish MPs from Western Thrace, both affiliated to the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, Çetin Mandacı (Xanthi) and Ahmet Hacıosman (Rhodope), former president (1999-2007) of the Party of Friendship, Equality and Peace created by former (1989) MP Sadık Ahmet in 1991[1].
− − At least 14 candidates from the Turkish minority have been nominated, mainly in Rhodope and Xanthi[2].
− − For New Democracy, former MP (2004-2007) İlhan Ahmet and Ahmet Ahmet are candidates in Rhodope[3], and in Xanthi Aysel Zeybek and Ahmet Budur[4]. Mrs Zeybek is a former victim of Article 19 of the Greek Citizenship Code, which allowed the government to revoke the citizenship of non-ethnic Greeks who left the country[5]. She won her case before the European Court of Human Rights and re-secured her Greek citizenship in 2001.
− − For PASOK, Çetin Mandacı and Seval Osmanoğlu are among the 5 candidates in Xanthi, Rıdvan Kocamümin and Ahmet Hacıosman among the 5 in Rhodope[6].
− − For the KKE (which presently has no MP in Xanthi or Rhodope), Faik Faik in Rhodope and Hasan Efendi in Xanthi.
− − For SYRIZA (which presently has no MP in Xanthi or Rhodope), Hasan Malkoç and Hüseyin Zeybek are candidates in Xanthi[7], and in Rhodope[8] Dr. Mustafa Mustafa (former MP) and Celalettin Yurtçu[9].
− − According to the Turkish newspaper Zaman,
−
- The ND and PASOK are upping the ante with get-out-the-vote measures aimed at Turks, including providing free bus transportation for 20,000 Greek citizens living in Turkey to Western Thrace so that they can cast their votes. They will also pay 50 euros per head for voters coming to Western Thrace[9]
− − In an earlier published Zaman article more details were mentioned:
−
- PASOK party gives 50 euros for each voter, the ruling ND party, 40 Euro (...) 20,000 Greek citizens living in Istanbul and Bursa are to be moved by buses at no charge to Western Thrace. For the 2007 election, approximately 10 thousand had been flocked by buses to Western Thrace. (...) This time, electors living in Germany will be transported freely from Cologne to Thessaloniki on October 1, and from Düsseldorf on October 2 to Alexandroupoli. Those going to Komotini and Xanthi will be transported by free buses.[10]