As a reminder that Hellas fully fulfills its obligations, as they arise from Treaty of Lausanneagainst the Muslim minority in Thrace and based, in fact, on the European acquis, Athens proceeded yesterday, after Turkish complaints about the violation of the rights Muslim Greeks areas. However, it is worth noting that the modernization of the system for promoting religious leaders (mufdis) enjoys the support of broad sections of the Muslims of Thrace, who are reacting to manipulation attempts by the Turkish Consulate, which has been unusually active in recent years.

In particular, in his statement Ministry of Foreign Affairs it says that “our Muslim fellow citizens in Thrace live in a European country. They enjoy everything that a democratic and privileged state provides to all its citizens without exception. Let Turkey think before making proposals to anyone how many articles of the Lausanne Treaty it itself complies with. For what reasons and under what systematic policy of Ankara, the once prosperous Greek minority in Constantinople, Imbro and Tenedo almost disappeared. Until Turkey provides honest and convincing answers to these ruthless questions, it will continue to be responsible both to its own citizens, whom it forced to leave their ancestral homes, and to the international community.”

“Let Turkey think, before making any proposals to anyone, how many articles of the Lausanne Treaty it itself complies with,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that the manifestation of honest self-criticism “would be beneficial primarily for Turkey, but also for the future of relations between our two countries.” With regard to the new law on muftis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that it was drawn up after lengthy consultations with representatives of the minority and is “fully compatible with the Greek Constitution and the country’s international obligations, defined by the Lausanne Treaty.” , the European Convention on Human Rights, the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the principles and norms of Islam.”

This was preceded by a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry about the alleged “infringement of the rights” of the “Turkish minority of Western Thrace”, as Ankara calls it, attributing to it national, not religious features. “While Greece should provide the Turkish minority of Western Thrace with the necessary support and assistance to elect, manage and structure its muftis, it is unacceptable that it is trying to place the Mufti under its own control against the will of the Turkish minority of Western Thrace. “, reports, in particular, the Turkish Foreign Ministry.