“The Muslim Minority of Thrace is a religious minority. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which governs its legal status, admits no multiple interpretations, and its religious — not ethnic — character is indisputable,” emphasizes the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement responding to Ankara’s provocations.

In its statement, the Foreign Ministry notes that the Treaty of Lausanne “contains no provision for the election of Muftis by the Minority, nor could it, given that they are additionally entrusted with judicial and administrative functions.”

The election of a Mufti is carried out under Law 4964/2022, which provides for the formation of a committee from Minority members that evaluates and proposes the most suitable candidates. Under this legislation, “the appointment of the new Mufti of Didymoteicho has been completed, while the announcements for filling the Mufti positions of Xanthi and Komotini have already been published. All this while in Turkey itself the Muftis are appointed.”

“Greece, as a European rule-of-law state, handles the issues of the Muslim Minority in Thrace with absolute responsibility, based on the principles of equality before the law and equal citizenship, and above all, it guarantees the religious freedom of its members. This will not change, just as the internationally recognized designation of the Minority will not change simply because some refuse to accept the obvious,” concludes the Foreign Ministry.

Ankara’s provocative statement

Athens’ reaction comes in response to Turkey’s provocative statement, which once again referred to a “Turkish minority” and accused Greece of refusing to recognize the Muftis.

“In recent months, the process of appointing ‘Muftis’ under the pretext of ‘elections,’ imposed in Didymoteicho without consultation with representatives and organizations of the ‘Turkish Minority of Western Thrace,’ is now being attempted in the regions of Rhodope and Xanthi.”

Ankara even criticized Greece for repressive practices and called on authorities “to reverse their persistently wrong course regarding the ‘Turkish Minority’ of Western Thrace. Turkey, while observing its treaty obligations, will continue to closely monitor the protection of the rights of the ‘Turkish Minority’ of Western Thrace in Greece,(sic)” the Turkish Ministry stated.