Halit Habip Oğlu: “We strongly disapprove these appointments made by the Appointed Deputy Mufti of Rodopi, who is not recognized by the Turkish community in Western Thrace, which ignores the will of our people and intends to divide our community.”
The Appointed Deputy Mufti of Rodopi Cihat Halil, who has been designated by the Greek government, appointed new imams to the mosque located in the neighbourhood of Harmanlık in Komotini and Hamidiye Mosque in Sapes albeit the Turkish community in Western Thrace had not made a request and showed consent in that respect. Although the imams elected and supported by the community and the board of trustees are serving in both mosques, these appointments were met with strong criticism among the Turkish community in Western Thrace.
The said arbitrary appointments made by the Appointed Deputy Mufti of Rodopi came out with a post shared by the imam Nihat Kaplan who has been serving in the Harmanlık Neighbourhood Mosque for 18 years on social media in order to inform the residents of the neighbourhood. The residents of the neighbourhood of Harmanlık started a signature campaign against this appointment by upholding and defending their imam Nihat Kaplan. The results of the signature campaign will be announced to the public with a press release.
“Cihat Halil, who has been appointed by the Greek state as the Appointed Deputy Mufti of Rodopi in violation of the religious autonomy of the Turkish community in Western Thrace guaranteed by treaties, made news appointments by replacing the imams of Harmanlık Neighbourhood Mosque in Komotini and Hamidiye Mosque in Sapes who were serving and had been elected by the community. In these days, when we are fighting the coronavirus which affects the whole world, and when mosques in Western Thrace are closed to the community within the framework of the measures that have been taken, the purpose of these insidious appointments under the direction of the Greek state is clear: to divide and tear apart the Turkish community in Western Thrace. We do not accept in any shape or form these appointments by the Appointed Deputy Mufti of Rodopi who is not recognised by the Turkish community in Western Thrace and who disregards our community’s will. As ABTTF, we would like to emphasize that we always stand by our imams Nihat Kaplan and Ali Emin who have been removed from their positions and fully support them”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
*Image: www.milletgazetesi.gr
