ABTTF prepared a parallel report on US 2015 International Religious Freedom Report on Greece

The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) prepared a parallel report to the 2015 International Religious Freedom Report on Greece released on 10 August 2016 by the United States Department of State and submitted it to the relevant US departments. In its parallel report, ABTTF put forward the problems the minority faces in the area of religious freedom and also highlighted the demands and comments of the minority on the subject.

Greece doesn’t recognise the minority’s ethnic Turkish identity

The US report mentions that according to the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), there are approximately 120,000 individuals residing in Thrace and descended from the officially recognized Muslim minority established by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. Reminding first of all that the Turkish Muslim minority of Western Thrace is estimated approximately 150.000, ABTTF claimed that Greece did not recognize “ethnic minority” or “linguistic minority” as legal terms and thus did not affirm the right of collective self-identification by members of an ethnic or linguistic group. Therefore, it was underlined that the existence of an ethnic Turkish minority in the country was denied.

Religious autonomy of Turkish Minority of Western Thrace is ignored

ABTTF noted that under the 1923 Lausanne Peace Treaty, Turkish Minority of Western Thrace has an autonomy in education and religious affairs and thus, has the right to establish, manage and control at their own expense, any religious and educational institution. It was indicated that the most important problem in religious freedom was the issue of Muftis. Explaining that the right to elect its own religious leaders (muftis) were taken away from the minority by Greece, ABTTF stated that Greece had appointed muftis since 1991. However, the minority members have not approved these muftis and elected their own ones in reaction who are not recognised by the Greek authorities. ABTTF warned that this implementation was totally in contrast with the religious autonomy of the minority guaranteed by 1923 Lausanne Treaty as well as other international agreements.

“240 Imam Law” is a direct intervention to the religious autonomy of Turkish Minority of Western Thrace

In its parallel report, ABTTF declared that the law registered as 4115/2013 and generally called by the minority members as “240 Imam Law” was drafted without any prior consultation with the minority and put in practice despite of strong reaction from the minority. The law in question envisaged the appointment of 240 Islamic religious instructors to teach Islam to the children belonging to the Turkish minority in Greek-language public primary and secondary schools and mosques in Western Thrace under the auspices of the government-appointed muftis.

Having mentioned the issue of waqifs, ABTTF expressed that although 1923 Lausanne Treaty guaranteed the right of the minority to set up and manage its own waqifs, Greek government still continued to appoint the Board of Directors for those waqifs.

ABTTF drew attention to bilingual kindergartens issue

ABTTF also mentioned in its report the problems that the minority kids face during pre-school education stating that the Greek authorities did not permit bilingual kindergartens to operate in Western Thrace and thus forced the minority children to go to state schools where the language of instruction was solely in Greek.