Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday urged Greece to reverse persistent violations of the rights of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, criticizing Athens for refusing to recognize the muftis (Muslim clerics) elected by the minority and for continuing to appoint religious leaders.
In a written statement, the ministry said Greece was disregarding the rights and freedoms of the Turkish minority guaranteed under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne by not recognizing elected muftis. It also objected to what it called the imposition of state-appointed muftis under the guise of an “election process,” first in Didymoteicho and now in the regions of Rhodope and Xanthi.
“Such practices are unacceptable,” the statement said, calling on Greek authorities to abandon what it described as a “wrong course” and to respect the will of the minority community.
The ministry also said it was bringing the issue once again to the attention of the international community, stressing that Greece’s failure to recognize the religious leaders chosen by an officially recognized minority undermines international commitments. It added that ending what it called “repressive practices” against the minority would positively affect bilateral relations.
Separately, the Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board (BTTADK) also criticized the Greek government for extending the mufti appointment process to Komotini and Xanthi following earlier steps in Didymoteicho. The group said the process was carried out without consultation with minority representatives or institutions.
The advisory board argued that the practice violates both democratic principles and international agreements, including the 1913 Treaty of Athens and the Treaty of Lausanne. It said the long-standing dispute, unresolved for nearly four decades, has caused deep frustration within the minority.
Muftis and foundation administrators in Western Thrace are currently appointed by the Greek state, a system opposed by many members of the minority, who argue they should be allowed to elect their own religious leaders.
Greece’s Western Thracian Turkish community often complains of double standards and continuing inequalities in the country, namely socioeconomic discrimination, lack of equal access to quality education for children of minorities or political rights.
The issue also looms over Turkish-Greek relations, which have been strained for decades over several disputes regarding territorial claims in the Aegean.
Last month, speaking at a joint news conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also said that he conveyed to Mitsotakis Türkiye’s expectation that the Turkish minority in Western Thrace fully benefit from their religious freedoms and educational rights, calling these protections the “human dimension” of relations that must be safeguarded with historic responsibility.
He added that while longstanding disputes in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean are complex, they are “not unsolvable” within the framework of international law, and said the two leaders share a common view that diplomacy is the most constructive path forward.
