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Parallel report by ABTTF on the US 2018 Report on International Religious Freedom: Greece

23.07.2019

In its parallel report, ABTTF cited Greece’s problems in the area of ​​religious freedom of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and called on Greece to stop immediately interfering with the religious autonomy of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and to fully respect its religious freedom.

The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) drafted a parallel report in response to 2018 Report of United States (US) Department of State on International Religious Freedom: Greece, which was announced on June 21, 2019 and forwarded it to the US authorities. In the parallel report by the ABTTF, the Mufti issue and foundations belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace who has religious autonomy pursuant to the international treaties, and the “240 Imam Law” were mentioned in detail in the scope of religious freedom.

In its parallel report, ABTTF responded to the claim that the population of the Turkish community in Western Thrace was estimated at roughly 100-120 thousand in the last year US report by referring the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and it was estimated at roughly 100 thousand in this year’s report by referring to a study by the Pew Research Center. Therefore, ABTTF criticized the US Department of State for showing a different source each year and announcing the population of the Turkish community in Western Thrace low which is indeed 150,000 although there is no official census or data of ethnic origin in Greece.

ABTTF stated that although the Turkish community in Western Thrace has the right to choose their own religious leaders, Muftis, according to the 1913 Treaty of Athens and the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the Greek government has been appointing the Muftis or Mufti regents since 1991. ABTTF highlighted that Western Thrace Turks who oppose to the appointment of Muftis by the state and elect their own Muftis however those Muftis are not recognized by the Greek government. ABTTF also noted that Ibrahim Şerif, elected Mufti of Rhodope has been constantly subjected to judicial proceedings in recent years on the grounds that “he usurped the Mufti office” and used illegally the religious symbols.

In its parallel report, ABTTF also provided information about the Presidential decree 52/2019 entered into force on June 11, 2019, which introduces the restructure of autonomous Mufti offices in Western Thrace, and emphasized that by the decree, the Mufti offices has been fully affiliated to the Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs. ABTTF added that the decree transformed Mufti offices into ordinary state offices and the decree which significantly limited the powers of the Muftis finally abolished the religious autonomy of Turkish community in Western Thrace.

ABTTF underlined that the “240 Imam Law” No. 4115/2013 has been still in force and applied insistently by the Greek government despite all the objections by the Turkish community in Western Thrace. ABTTF also noted that Islamic religious instructors are required to be appointed to teach Islam to the children belonging to the Turkish community in Greek-language public primary and secondary schools and mosques in Western Thrace under the auspices of the government-appointed muftis. ABTTF added that the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs released a decision in June 2019 which requires the appointment of 120 religion teachers (ierodidaskalos) to work in Western Thrace under a 9-month employment contract.

In its parallel report, ABTTF also touched upon the problems experienced for decades related to the foundations belonging to Turkish community in Western Thrace and noted that although 1923 Treaty of Lausanne granted the Turkish community in Western Thrace the right to establish, manage and control its own religious institutions, the Greek government did not allow the executive boards of the foundations to be elected by Western Turkish community and since 1967 when the military junta came to power, the Greek government has been appointing the executive boards. ABTTF also noted although by the law 3554/2007, foundations belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace were exempted from tax, the aforementioned law has not been applied to date and the tax debts of the foundations have not been cleared hence the foundation property is under mortgage due to non-deleted tax debts.

ABTTF reminded that unilateral steps of the Greek government regarding the Muftis are a violation of the religious autonomy of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and called on Greece to restore the educational and religious autonomy of the Turkish community in Western Thrace guaranteed by the international treaties. In addition, ABTTF criticized the US, which included the problems of Western Thrace Turks in the religious field into the report from the Greek point of view based on official policy and claims of the Greek state, and asked from US diplomatic representatives and officials to meet with the Western Thrace Turks and draft the report with more balanced and objective approach by covering the views of the Western Thrace Turks more in the report.

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