“The Muslim Minority of Thrace is a religious minority. The Treaty of Lausanne of 1923, which governs its legal status, does not allow for multiple interpretations, and its religious-not its ethnic-character is indisputable,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized on Thursday in its response to the Turkish Foreign Ministry regarding the Muslim minority of Thrace.
The Ministry underlined that in the Treaty of Lausanne “no provision is made for the election of Muftis by the Minority, nor could this be the case given that they also carry judicial and administrative responsibilities,” and noted:
“The Greek State, with Law 4964/2022, provided for the establishment of a committee composed of members of the Minority, including women, which evaluates and proposes the most suitable candidates for the position of Mufti. In implementation of this law, the appointment of the new Mufti of Didymoteicho has been completed, while calls for applications for the positions of Muftis in Xanthi and Komotini have already been published. And all this at a time when, in Turkiye itself, Muftis are appointed.”
In conclusion, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that Greece, as a European rule-of-law state, handles issues concerning the Muslim Minority of Thrace with full responsibility, “on the basis of the principles of equality before the law and equal civil rights, and above all ensures the religious freedom of its members,” making clear that this will not change.
“This will not change, just as the designation of the Minority as provided by international law will not change either, simply because some refuse to accept what is self-evident,” it noted.
