€500,000 donation to Zografeion High School in Istanbul — But what about the Turkish Minority School in İskeçe?

Greece’s leading newspaper Kathimerini reported on July 17, 2025, that the Hellenic Bank Association has donated €500,000 for earthquake reinforcement and restoration works at the historic Zografeion Greek High School in Istanbul. Established in 1893, the school remains a significant cultural symbol for the Greek diaspora, currently educating 74 students.

The donation came at the request of the school administration and the  Patriarchate of Constantinople. Gkikas Hardouvelis, Chairman of the Hellenic Bank Association, emphasized:

"Zografeion is not just a school; it is a living symbol of the cultural and educational heritage of the diaspora Hellenism. Preserving it is a testament to our respect for history and roots."

But what about the Turkish Minority School in İskeçe?

While the Greek financial sector rallies behind Zografeion’s preservation, the situation for the schools of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority remains dire. The Turkish Minority Secondary and High School in İskeçe has long faced serious infrastructure problems—leaking roofs, risk of ceiling collapses, and unsanitary conditions—that have forced parents and students to protest repeatedly, demanding a new school building.

Despite these calls, Greek authorities have neither proposed concrete improvement plans nor provided funds for new facilities. The school’s roughly 500 students remain effectively abandoned.

What if the situation were reversed?

If the Turkish banking sector in Türkiye had made a similar donation for a Turkish minority school in Western Thrace, the Greek media would likely have reacted with headlines accusing interference in Greek internal affairs, claims of Turkish pressure via minority issues, or warnings about regional unrest.

This double standard reflects a deeper bias: while the demands of the Greek minority in Türkiye are framed as preserving heritage and civilization, the legitimate demands of the Turkish minority in Greece are often portrayed as threats.

Solidarity for 74 students in Istanbul — Silence for hundreds in İskeçe

Despite Zografeion’s small student body, a large network of support has mobilized. Meanwhile, nearly 500 students at the Turkish Minority High School in İskeçe remain neglected, with unclear safety standards and an urgent need for renovation also echoed in other Turkish minority schools in Gümülcine and İskeçe.

Neither the Greek central government nor local authorities have taken meaningful steps to address these issues.

This double standard must be addressed

If the restoration of a minority school is a national cause for one community but neglect and decay for another, this is not just a matter of education policy—it is a human rights issue.

If the principle of equal citizenship is to be more than words;
If discrimination among minorities is to end;

Then the time has come for an urgent action plan for the Turkish Minority Secondary and High School in İskeçe.

— C.Ö.