Η έκθεση που υποβλήθηκε στις 18/8/2018 είχε τίτλο: Η επιτυχία της Αναζωογόνησης Κοινοτήτων που υπήρξαν θύματα παραβιάσεων των δικαιωμάτων τους, αποτελεί ουσιαστική συνιστώσα της ενίσχυσης των Δικαιωμάτων του Ανθρώπου: Η περίπτωση της Ελληνορθόδοξης Κοινότητας της Κωνσταντινούπολης. Παρακάτω δίνουμε την περίληψη της εισήγησης.
Achievement of Revitalization of Victim Communities of the past is an Essential Compo-nent Strengthening Human Rights The case of the Greek-Orthodox Community of Istanbul
The strengthening of the Rule of Law and respect of Human Rights is directly linked with essential remedy measures towards the victim communities whose rights have been vio-lated. This is highly important in the case of the communities driven towards an almost an-nihilation. Urgent measures are needed for such communities to survive and continue with their historical existence and their role to the country they belong. The Greek-Orthodox Community of Istanbul constituting with its 125.000 members the 15% of the city’s popula-tion at the foundation of Republic of Turkey in 1923, presently are living as an expatriate community up to 98% of its population out of their native city of Istanbul. This occurred, as we have reported several times in this forum, because of the state driven discriminatory measures and the violation of human rights throughout Twenty Century. The Present Gov-ernment of Turkey being in power from the year 2003 on several occasions recognized the unjust acts of the past against the Greek-Orthodox Community. Recently (22 April 2018) the President Republic of Turkey Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a nationwide TV interview recog-nized this fact saying that: “there were thousands I say hundred thousand Greek-Orthodox (Rum) in our country. They were forced to emigrate because of mistakes and this was a pity”. During the last 8 years the EFC pursued a policy of direct communication with the Government of Turkey functionaries to alleviate the consequences of above mentioned vio-lations by formulating and implementing remedy measures. The principal aim of the pro-posed measures is to prevent the disappearance of the Community residing in their native city Istanbul. Despite some noticeable improvements in some issues such as: restitution of citizenships, change of attitude towards Community Welfare Foundations and especially to-wards the Ecumenical Patriarchate, there are still many pending issues to mention such the prohibition of elections in Welfare Foundations and the return of their real estate properties which have been confiscated in the past. However the most important measure is the ne-cessity the State of Turkey to support the repatriation of young generation members of the Community by implementing measures that have been proposed in the past by the EFC.