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Türkiye on Oct. 24 called on Greece to recognize Muslim religious leaders elected by the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, accusing Athens of disregarding religious freedom by appointing its own muftis in the region.
“We call on the Greek authorities to recognize the legitimate muftis elected by the minority and to refrain from attempts to impose appointed muftis,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The statement came after the Greek government appointed muftis for five-year terms in the cities of Komotini and Xanthi, following an earlier appointment to the Didymoteicho mufti office in January.
The Turkish minority in Western Thrace has elected İbrahim Şerif as mufti of Komotini and Mustafa Trampa as mufti of Xanthi.
Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş also urged Greece to comply with the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which established the framework for the protection of minority rights in the region.
“Attempting to determine a community’s religious practices and representatives through state intervention is incompatible with both the law and the fundamental principles of democracy,” Kurtulmuş said in a statement.
Western Thrace, in northeastern Greece, includes the cities of Komotini, Xanthi and Alexandroupoli and is home to a Muslim minority estimated at around 150,000 people.
The appointment of muftis has long been a point of contention between Türkiye and Greece. Ankara argues that Muslim religious leaders in the region should be elected by the members of the community they serve, citing international agreements, including the Treaty of Lausanne.
Greece, which maintained an election system for muftis until 1985, subsequently shifted to government appointments.
Athens does not officially recognize the Muslim minority in Western Thrace as a Turkish minority, instead identifying it by its religious affiliation.
