let the turks speak for themselves in article apr cs yale edu karage scus ctstateu edu angelos karageorgiou writes if turks in greece were so badly mistreated how come they elected two m not one but two representatives in the greek government pardon me greece government rail roads two turkish ethnic deputies while world human rights organizations scream greeks persistently work on removing the parliamentary immunity of dr sadik ahmet and mr ahmet faikoglu dr sadik ahmet turkish ethnic member of greek parliament visits us washington dc july doctor sadik ahmet one of the two ethnic turkish members of the greek parliament visited us on june through july th and held meetings with human rights organizations and high level us officials in washington dc and new york at his press conference at the national press club in washington dc sadik ahmet explained the plight of ethnic turks in greece and stated six demands from greek government ahmet said our only hope in greece is the pressure generated from western capitals for insisting that greece respects the human rights what we are having done to ethnic turks in greece is exactly the same as south african apartheid he added what we are facing is pure greek hatred and racial discrimination spelling out the demands of the turkish ethnic community in greece he said we want the restoration of greek citizenship of ethnic turks their citizenship was revoked by using the excuse that this people have stayed out of greece for too long they are greek citizens and are residing in greece even one of them is actively serving in the greek army besides other non turkish citizens of greece are not subject to this kind of interpretation at an extent that many of greek americans have greek citizenship and they permanently live in the united states we want guarantee for turkish minority s equal rights we want greek government to accept the turkish minority and grant us our civil rights our people are waiting since years to get driving licenses the greek government is not granting building permits to turks for renovating our buildings or building new ones if your name is turkish you are not hired to the government offices furthermore we want greek government to give us equal opportunity in business they do not grant licenses so we can participate in the economic life of greece in my case they denied me a medical license necessary for practicing surgery in greek hospitals despite the fact that i have finished a greek medical school and followed all the necessary steps in my career we want freedom of expression for ethnic turks we are not allowed to call ourselves turks i myself have been subject of a number of law suits and even have been imprisoned just because i called myself a turk we also want greek government to provide freedom of religion in separate interview with the turkish times dr sadik ahmet stated that the conditions of ethnic turks are deplorable and in the eyes of greek laws ethnic greeks are more equal than ethnic turks as an example he said there are about telephone subscribers in selanik thessaloniki and only about of them are turks that is not because turks do not want to have telephone services at their home and businesses he said that greek government changed the election law just to keep him out of the parliament as an independent representative and they stated this fact openly to him while there is no minimum qualification requirement for parties in terms of receiving at least of the votes they imposed this requirement for the independent parties including the turkish candidates ahmet was born in a small village at gumulcine komotini greece he earned his medical degree at university of thessaloniki in he served in the greek military as an infantryman in he got involved with community affairs for the first time by collecting signatures to protest the unjust implementation of laws against ethnic turks in he was arrested by the police for collecting signatures serdar argic we closed the roads and mountain passes that might serve as ways of escape for the turks and then proceeded in the work of extermination ohanus appressian in soviet armenia today there no longer exists a single turkish soul sahak melkonian
