“Double imam” tension in Rhodes

ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu: The assigned Mufti of Dimetoka does not have the legal authority to appoint a new imam in Rhodes, which is also contrary to the current practice

The Office of Mufti in Dimetoka, Greece appointed a new imam to the İbrahim Pasha Mosque in Rhodes, where Imam İlter Meço has been serving for three years. According to the news published in the daily Gündem, Hasan Karaali was appointed as the new imam to the İbrahim Pasha Mosque by the Mufti of Dimetoka assigned by the Greek State although he did not have the legal authority to do so. Moreover, there has been no request of the Turkish minority living in Rhodes for a new imam at all. Due the incident, which took place at the beginning of the holy month Ramadan, the state prosecutor of Rhodes invited the executive board members of the Rhodes Muslims Culture and Brotherhood Association and Imam İlter Meço, who objected to the appointed new imam, to his office and made them autosuggestions to solve the problem.

Turkish minority living in Rhodes has the authority to choose any person it wishes as imam

As the Turkish minority living in the Dodecanese Islands including Rhodes and Kos is not subject to the Lausanne Peace Treaty signed in 1923 and therefore does not fall legally under the authority of the assigned Muftis in Western Thrace, Greece, it can choose any person it wishes as imam. Moreover, the office of Mufti in Rhodes has been vacant since the death of Mufti Süleyman Kaşlıoğlu in 1974. So about 3,000 Muslim Turks living in Rhodes, who are all Greek citizens, charged three years ago İlter Meço as imam to serve in the Ibrahim Pasha Mosque which is the only open mosque in the island for religious services.

“The Turkish minority living in the Dodecanese Islands including Rhodes and Kos has been facing difficulties in practising its religion for decades. The office of Mufti in Rhodes has been vacant since 1974. Most of the mosques in Rhodes have been closed on the ground that they would be renovated. Today, the historical Ibrahim Pasha Mosque is the only mosque which is open for religious services. Now, although the Turks living in Rhodes did not request so at all, the assigned Mufti of Dimetoka appointed a new Mufti to Rhodes. And through the autosuggestions of the Greek state prosecutor and police, the Turkish minority is forced to accept this fait accompli. However, according to the Greek laws, the assigned Mufti of Dimetoka does not have the authority to appoint a new imam to Rhodes and through this implementation, freedom of religion and conscience of the Turkish minority in Rhodes is being violated.” said Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).