ABTTF President: “This decision is absolutely unacceptable and null and void for our community. We call upon our country to address the issue of muftis in direct dialogue with our community, to recognise the muftis elected by the free will of our community, and to immediately cease its unilateral practices that violate our religious autonomy’’.
A mufti has been appointed to Didymoteicho by decision of the Greek Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sport. Emin Şerif, appointed as Mufti of Didymoteicho by the Ministry, took office on 9 January 2026 after taking the oath in Athens.
‘‘By unilaterally appointing a mufti to Didymoteicho, our country, Greece, has once again disregarded our community’s religious autonomy and will, which was established by the 1913 Treaty of Athens and guaranteed by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. Our country has been usurping our right to elect our muftis since 1990 through various practices and laws. Most recently, with the law titled “Modernisation of Mufti Offices in Thrace,” passed by the national parliament on 29 July 2022, our autonomous mufti offices have been transformed into overt state departments, placed entirely under the control and supervision of the state. Once again, with an impositive decision, without consulting our community, our country has appointed someone to Didymoteicho whom our community did not elect and does not accept, revealing its true intention to completely eliminate our religious autonomy. This decision is absolutely unacceptable and null and void for our community. We call upon our country to address the issue of muftis in direct dialogue with our community, to recognise the muftis elected by the free will of our community, and to immediately cease its unilateral practices that violate our religious autonomy”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
*Image: www.anadoluimages.com
