ABTTF President: “In the section on Greece of the report, we see that the problems experienced by the Turkish community in Western Thrace in the religious sphere are again partially included. By preparing a parallel report as we have done in the past years, we will detail the issues and demands of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and send our report to the competent US authorities.”
The 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom has been published by the Department of State of the United States of America (USA). The section on Greece of the report, which deals with the state of religious freedom in all countries of the world, partly covers the problems experienced by the Turkish community in Western Thrace with the definition of “Muslim minority in Thrace”.
The Turkish community in Western Thrace in the US report
In the US report which indicates that the total population of Greece is estimated at 10.6 million, it is noted that the population of the Turkish community in Western Thrace which is officially recognised under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, numbers approximatively 140,000, referring to Greek government sources.
Repeating the statements in the 2019 report, it is stated that the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the Turkish community in Western Thrace have the right to manage their mosques and foundations, noting that the government has appointed three muftis in (Western) Thrace under the 1991 law, and that the term of office of these appointed muftis is ten years and that it can further be extended. Noting that all costs of the muftis in (Western) Thrace are covered by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, the report mentions the law known as the “Law on 240 Imams”, stating that the salaries of appointed muftis and religious teachers assigned for optional Islamic religion courses in public schools in (Western) Thrace are paid by the government. However, the report does not mention the opposition of the Turkish community in Western Thrace to the “Law on 240 Imams”.
Moreover, the report notes that according to the Treaty of Lausanne, bilingual schools in Turkish and Greek are active in (Western) Thrace, as well as two religious schools (madrasahs), adding that the total number of bilingual primary schools in the region was 115 in 2019-2020, and that the number was 128 in 2018-2019. The report also notes that representatives of the Turkish community in Western Thrace indicate that two bilingual secondary and high schools in the region are inadequate to meet their needs, but that the government has ignored their requests to open a private secondary and high school. Furthermore, the report does not mention the violation of the educational autonomy of the Turkish community in Western Thrace by bringing in appointed deputy muftis to the head the school boards of two madrasahs in Komotini and Xanthi.
The report states that the Turkish community in Western Thrace opposes the appointment of the muftis by the government and demanded that the muftis be elected directly by the Minority, noting that the government stresses that the constitution does not allow the election of the judges, and therefore (appointed) muftis who have the powers of judges in family and inheritance matters cannot be elected. In addition, the criticisms emanating from the Turkish community in Western Thrace as regards the 52/2019 dated presidential decree, which reorganises the functioning of the mufti offices which have autonomous status in the region is not included in the report.
“In the section related to Greece within the 2020 US Report on International Religious Freedom, we see that the problems experienced by the Turkish community Western Thrace in the religious sphere are again partially mentioned, and that the statements written in last year’s report are repeated. Although the report contains criticisms and demands of the Turkish community in Western Thrace on some issues, the statements throughout the report support the official line of our country. By preparing a parallel report as we have done in the past years, we will detail the issues and demands of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and send our report to the competent US authorities”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
Please click here for the section related to Greece in the US 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/240282-GREECE-2020-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf
