Türkiye on Saturday accused Greece of undermining the religious freedoms of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace by appointing state-selected muftis in Komotini and Xanthi, renewing a decades-long dispute over the community’s right to choose its religious leaders.
In a statement issued Oct. 24, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the appointments disregarded rights and freedoms protected under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and other international agreements.
“The institution of the Mufti is an integral part of the religious, social, and cultural identity of the Turkish Minority in Western Thrace,” the ministry said.
It accused Athens of ignoring the community’s wishes by refusing to recognize its elected muftis and instead imposing religious officials selected through state procedures.
“By refusing to recognize the Muftis elected by the Turkish Minority in Western Thrace, an official minority in the country, Greece is ignoring the Minority’s will and religious freedom, thereby once again revealing its distorted perspective on fundamental human rights,” the ministry said.
Ankara called on Greek authorities to recognize the community-elected religious leaders and end the appointment of state-selected muftis.
The statement followed the formal appointment of two religious officials for five-year terms. Bilal Kara Halil, a former deputy mufti in Xanthi, was appointed mufti of Komotini, known as Gümülcine in Turkish, while Şükrü Şerif Damatoğlu, who previously served as a religious official on the island of Kos, was appointed mufti of Xanthi, known as İskeçe in Turkish.
The appointments have reinforced a system in which state-appointed muftis operate alongside religious leaders chosen by members of the minority community.
The community recognizes İbrahim Şerif as its elected mufti in Komotini and Mustafa Trampa as its elected mufti in Xanthi. Greek authorities do not officially recognize either leader as the mufti of their respective cities.
The disagreement has persisted for decades, with Türkiye and minority representatives arguing that the community should have the right to elect its religious leadership, while Greece maintains that mufti appointments must follow national law.
The dispute intensified in 1985 following the death of Hüseyin Mustafa Efendi, then mufti of Komotini, when Greek authorities began appointing successors. Legislative changes in 1991 removed earlier provisions concerning elections and consolidated the appointment-based system.
Further reforms, including Law 4964/2022, placed mufti offices more explicitly under state oversight, with appointment procedures involving committees that include minority members. Greece has also appointed a mufti for Didymoteicho under the framework.
Türkiye and minority representatives base their position on the Treaty of Lausanne, the 1913 Treaty of Athens and Greece's Law No. 2345 of 1920, which they argue supports the community's right to elect its muftis.
They maintain that muftis serve as more than religious officials, playing a central role in the community's social and cultural life. From this perspective, state appointments undermine the minority's religious autonomy and its right to determine its own leadership.
Greece rejects that interpretation. Athens describes the community as a Muslim religious minority rather than an ethnic Turkish minority, citing the terminology used in the Treaty of Lausanne. Greek authorities also argue that the treaty does not require muftis to be elected.
The Greek government maintains that muftis exercise judicial and administrative responsibilities in addition to their religious duties, making their selection subject to the country's legal framework. It has repeatedly said that it protects religious freedom and guarantees equal citizenship while rejecting efforts to redefine the minority's official status.
Western Thrace, which includes the Greek regions of Rhodope, Xanthi and Evros, is home to a Muslim minority whose population is commonly estimated at tens of thousands to as many as 100,000 to 150,000 people, particularly in Rhodope and Xanthi.
The community maintains mosques, religious foundations and educational institutions. The management of foundations and communal property has also been a longstanding source of disagreement, including disputes over state-appointed administrators.
Türkiye has repeatedly raised minority rights and religious autonomy under the Treaty of Lausanne and related agreements, including in previous statements concerning mufti appointments in Didymoteicho and other parts of the region.
