ABTTF President: “We condemn all of the state’s unlawful and illegitimate practices based on the usurpation of rights. The mufti issue is directly linked not only to the religious identity but also to the cultural and social identity of the Turkish community in Western Thrace. Therefore, any practice that disregards the will of the Turkish community in Western Thrace by usurping our rights guaranteed by the conventions is neither legitimate nor sustainable.”
In its first statement following its general assembly on 6 April 2026, the Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board (BTTADK) condemned the appointment of a mufti in Xanthi and Komotini, following the appointment in Didymoteicho.
According to Law No. 4964/2022, our mufti offices, which should be autonomous, have been transformed into public offices at the general directorate level under the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. This law, which the Turkish community in Western Thrace has consistently opposed, stipulates that muftis will be selected and appointed through boards determined by the Ministry and will serve as civil servants. Subsequently, regulations that completely placed the mufti offices under state control were implemented. In January 2026, a mufti was appointed to Didymoteicho, and in February 2026, a new five-year appointment process was initiated for the mufti offices of Xanthi and Komotini.
The process implemented in Didymoteicho, presented under the guise of an ‘‘election’’, is in reality nothing more than an appointment devoid of democratic legitimacy. The attempt to implement a similar practice in Komotini and Xanthi today demonstrates that our country, Greece, is persisting in this flawed policy.
These practices violate not only democratic principles but also international law, particularly the 1913 Treaty of Athens and the 1923 Lausanne Peace Treaty. Furthermore, this approach is incompatible with European human rights standards.
Moreover, these recently implemented decisions raise serious concerns that this process is not merely an administrative measure but also part of a planned approach with the potential to create social tension.
“We condemn all of the state's unlawful and illegitimate practices based on the usurpation of rights. The right of the Turkish community in Western Thrace to elect its own religious leaders is not a matter open to debate. As the Turkish community in Western Thrace, our demand is the restoration of our right, which is guaranteed by international law. Any step to the contrary only deepens the problem instead of solving it. The mufti issue is directly linked not only to the religious identity but also to the cultural and social identity of the Turkish community in Western Thrace. Therefore, any practice that usurps our rights guaranteed by conventions and disregards the will of the Turkish community in Western Thrace is neither legitimate nor sustainable. We want it to be known that we will continue to loudly demand our rights both domestically and internationally against these unlawful and illegitimate practices”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
