ABTTF President: “In our country, the Greek Orthodox Church—the prevailing religion—and the recognised Jewish community are religiously autonomous; as communities, they freely organise their internal affairs without state intervention. All known religions in the country have an autonomous structure; the state intervenes only in ours. The appointment of the muftis is a usurpation by the state of our right, which is guaranteed by international treaties’’.
In a report published on the NewsFire news site regarding the appointment of a new mufti to Didymoteicho by decision of the Greek Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sport, it was claimed that this reform—implemented under Law 4964/2022—abandons the decades-long method of direct appointment in favor of a modern institutional framework based on transparency, meritocracy, and participation.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in his weekly evaluation message, also touched upon the appointment of the new mufti in Didymoteicho. He claimed that the legal framework enacted in 2022 regarding the functioning of the muftis was being implemented in practice for the first time and that this process is fully compatible with the Constitution, the Treaty of Lausanne, and European law.
On the other hand Chairman of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board (BTTADK) and Mufti of Xanthi Mustafa Trampa, reacted strongly to the appointment during a press conference held on 26 January 2026, attended by BTTADK members. He stated that the issue of determining a mufti cannot be treated as a mere administrative discretion; rather, it is the right of the Turkish community in Western Thrace to elect its own religious representative, a right granted by the international treaties.
Emphasising that their expectation from the Greek state is dialogue instead of conflict and consultation instead of imposition, Trampa noted that the issue is not only a religious one but a clear problem of democracy and representation. He remarked that the Western Thrace Turks possess the maturity and will to elect their own religious leader.
“Religious autonomy was granted to our community by the 1913 Treaty of Athens, and this autonomy was guaranteed by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. The claim made by our country’s Prime Minister, Mitsotakis, and the mainstream Greek media—that the appointment of a new mufti to Didymoteicho is compatible with the Treaty of Lausanne—is a complete falsehood. This appointment is a violation of our religious autonomy and a total disregard for the will of our community. In our country, the Greek Orthodox Church—the prevailing religion—and the recognised Jewish community are religiously autonomous; as communities, they freely organise their internal affairs without state intervention. All known religions in the country have an autonomous structure; the state intervenes only in ours. The determination of the muftis is a usurpation of our right, which is guaranteed by the treaties. As the Turkish community in western Thrace, we will never allow the state to achieve its true objective: the total elimination of our religious autonomy’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
*Image: www.anadoluimages.com
