Western Thrace Fenerbahce Supporters Association refuses to change name

The Fenerbahce Supporters Sports-Culture Association in Greece has been ordered to close by a court. The reason given for the closure is that the association’s name, which includes the term “Western Thrace,” implies a connection to a Turkish minority in the region.

The association’s management board has defiantly announced they will not accept the court’s decision and plan to fight to keep their chosen name.

A statement from the association said, “The Fenerbahce Supporters Sports-Culture Association will not abandon the name it has chosen since its official establishment. This is a democratic right, and we will continue to exercise it.”

The statement emphasized that the closure decision by the Rodopi Civil Court contains legal flaws and constitutes a violation of several rights protected under international law, and that they will appeal the decision.

The Western Thrace Fenerbahce Supporters Sports-Culture Association began operations in October 2022 after obtaining all necessary permits from the relevant court in Komotini.

The first closure case against the association in June 2023 was concluded in favor of the association after the prosecutor withdrew the application.

Komotini Prosecutor Maria Kapetanyanni, in her indictment prepared in March 2023, had argued that the minority rejected Turkish identity and claimed to be a Muslim minority. Kapetanyanni had requested the closure of the association on the grounds that its name could imply a “Turkish minority,” which she claimed was against the law.

Former President of the Supreme Court of Greece and former Prime Minister Vasiliki Thanu had also called for the association’s closure, claiming it posed a “threat to public security.” Thanu argued that the term “Western Thrace” in the association’s name is used only by Türkiye and urged Greek courts to review their decision.

The Komotini Civil Court decided on May 28, 2024, to shut down the association due to the use of the term “Western Thrace,” which it claimed could imply a Turkish minority.

Twit: The Western Thrace Fenerbahce Supporters Association in Greece will not change its name despite a court ruling to shut it down, citing democratic rights and legal flaws in the decision