ABTTF slams Ministry’s report

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) criticized the official statement of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs regarding  Western Thrace Turkish Minority in the "Events Experienced in Areas of Religious Importance in Greece - 2020" report.

In the press release published by the ABTTF, "In the report of the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs 'Events in Areas of Religious Importance in Greece-2020', the status of the Western Thrace Turkish society in the religious field, the right to elect its muftis, the functioning of the mufti, the regulations regarding the restructuring of the mufti and the mosques in the region is discussed in detail in the report. However only the official opinion of the state is conveyed.” was said.

ABTTF's statement included the following sages on the subject: “Under the heading of the Muslim minority in Thrace, the report stated that, according to the Lausanne Peace Treaty, the expression Greek Orthodox Christians in Istanbul and Muslims in Thrace was used, and that the minority in (Western) Thrace was a religious affiliation recorded as a minority. In the report, it is claimed that together with the status of the Western Thrace Turkish community, Greece is protected by law and fully respected for its religious and cultural character.

On the subject of muftis, the report states that in the provinces of Didimoteichon, Xanthi and Rhodope, the muftis are at the level of independent general directorates, subject to the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs.

It is recorded that (appointed) muftis are senior civil servants, bureaucratic directors, and are appointed for 10 years and have religious, administrative and judicial powers according to Islamic law.

In addition, the report mentions the Presidential Decree No. 52/2019, which states that the Decree is a clear intervention in the autonomous structure of the Western Thrace Turkish society in the field of religion, and conveys the way the three mufti offices are structured in Western Thrace with this decree.

Under the title of Thrace mosques, the previous report repeats what was stated in the previous report, and it is noted that Muslims fulfill their religious duties in more than 260 mosques in the region, and that the maintenance and repair of old mosques and the construction of new mosques are fulfilled by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs.

In the report, which is stated that the Ministry of Culture and Sports carried out the restoration of historical mosques, it is noted that the license and regulations for construction permits in places of worship were updated with a circular for repairs or expansions in places of worship in Western Thrace.

Although it is stated that Greece recognizes a Muslim minority according to Lausanne, the report claims that Alevism is independent from Islam under the title of Alevis in Thrace, and as a result of the application made by the Thrace Alevi Muslims Committee, religious ceremonies is recorded that prayers are allowed to be held temporarily.

Under the heading of attacks on religious sites, the attacks on Mastanlı cemetery, Komotini Old Mosque, Komotini Kayali Mosque, Komotini Serdar Mosque in 2020 in Western Thrace and a few attacks outside Western Thrace are also included.

REACTION FROM THE PRESIDENT OF ABTTF

Regarding the report, ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu said, “When we examine the annual report published by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, we see that the official state thesis is repeated, of course.

There is no explanation given about the violation of the autonomous structure of the Western Thrace Turkish society in the religious field and the usurpation of our right to elect muftis by the state and the removal of our right to determine the management of foundations.

The report, as it stands, is nothing more than an effort to create a false, distorted and unrealistic perception that the state provides all rights and freedoms to the Western Thrace Turkish society in our region.

As ABTTF, we will contribute to the OSCE Hate Crimes Report every year, as we report attacks on our places of worship, institutions and organizations in our region, as we have done in Greece for the last few years, we will express our views in parallel with this report and report the attacks in our region to the ministry.

As ABTTF, we follow not only international reports but also national reports. We will speak for about all reports, we will speak about ourselves rather than for others to speak for us.”