Readings on Western Thrace
Living in Western Thrace is not only a struggle to exist in a geography, but also a determination to preserve an identity. This identity stands through history, faith, education, language, and struggle. The works in your hands are the most sincere witnesses and records of this struggle.
Western Thrace… Although it appears as a small region on maps, it is a geography kneaded with an identity struggle. What happens on these lands is not only part of a story that should resonate in the memory of a minority but also a universal story that should echo in all of humanity. As a researcher working on Western Thrace, I wanted to introduce some valuable works that will shed light on this story.
The books listed below are not merely academic studies; they are also documents of a people’s struggle to exist, the determination to preserve their identity, and their historical memory. Sometimes echoing in an archival document, sometimes in an individual testimony, these books are fundamental sources for anyone seeking to understand the journey of Turkish identity, Muslim faith, and minority rights in Western Thrace.
Below, short content-focused introductions are provided for each of these books. Each one is a valuable building block that illuminates the past of Western Thrace.
1. The Conquest History of Western Thrace (1261–1361) – A. Mehmet Delibalta
With this work, Delibalta traces the origins of Turkish presence back to the Thracians and Scythians, starting from the pre-Ottoman period of Western Thrace. He follows the traces of Pechenegs and Cumans who settled in the region; he conveys the process of settlement of the Yörüks, especially brought from Konya, Karaman, and Saruhan regions, into the Ottoman period with all political, social, and strategic dimensions. The book meticulously narrates the identities of conquerors such as Gazi Süleyman Pasha, Gazi Evrenos Bey, Lala Şahin Pasha, the first Friday prayers held after the conquest, and the chronology of conquered cities. The conquest of Ferecik in 1357 as the first Ottoman city and the mosque established where the Kosmosotira Monastery now stands form the backbone of this chronology.
2. Western Thrace in Ottoman Documents – H. Yıldırım Ağanoğlu, Sebahattin Bayram, Mümin Yıldıztaş
This work analyzes the administrative, social, and cultural structure of Western Thrace during 1357–1912 through original documents. Thanks to documents brought from the Ottoman Archives, it carefully presents who built the schools, mosques, churches, and synagogues in the region and during which period. Relations between Muslim and non-Muslim communities, administrative regulations, and foundation structures are supported by documents and presented to the reader. Although prepared in academic language, its clear narration makes it an important source for both experts and general readers.
3. The Western Thrace Turkish Republic – Yalçın Koçak & Ertan Özyiğit
The book presents the striking story of the Western Thrace Turkish Republic, which was established between August 31 and October 29, 1913, and existed for only 60 days. The founding process, diplomatic relations with Greek and Bulgarian administrations, state structure, flag, stamps, passport system, and internal administration are detailed. Matters such as state recognition, the establishment of the army, and the subsequent sudden abolition and reintegration period are comprehensively addressed. With its detailed 634-page narrative, all aspects of this short-lived but symbolic state are revealed from historical, diplomatic, and sociological perspectives.
4. Memoirs of Fuat Balkan, the Committee Member – Fuat Balkan (ed. Turgut Gürer)
This qualitative work contains the memoirs of Fuat Balkan, one of the founders of Beşiktaş and an important figure in the National Forces struggle, expressing the active contributions of the Turks of Western Thrace during the War of Independence. The memoirs detail Fuat Balkan’s organizational work in the region, his activities as a committee member, and his relations with the local population, providing a historical backdrop. The memoirs testify to the resistance power of Turks outside their destination and the line of loyalty extending from Western Thrace to Turkey.
5. Western Thrace: A Lost People under Nationalism and the Nazis – Ertan Altan
This work deeply analyzes how Muslim Turks living in Western Thrace defended themselves against the Nazis, Italians, and Bulgarian occupation during World War II. The book narrates the participation of approximately 17,000 Western Thracian Turks in the Greek national army against Nazi occupation, nationalism, assimilation policies, and the dissolution of the multi-ethnic structure. The pressure of modern nationalist ideologies on the local population, practices based on religion-language-race distinctions, and examples of solidarity are presented together with historical documents.
6. The Turkish Minority of Western Thrace in the Greek Civil War (1946–1949) – Rahmi Ali & Tevfik Hüseyinoğlu
This study comprehensively addresses the difficulties experienced by the Turks of Western Thrace during the dark period of the Greek Civil War and their impact on the people. With 544 pages, it details events related to health, social pressure, and psychological trauma. Themes such as the exile of minority groups during the conflict, social isolation, economic devastation, and migration processes are deeply examined. The book, approaching the civil war period with a social history perspective, gains added value by recording grievances and turning them into documented evidence through personal testimonies.
7. The Western Thrace Issue – Tuğba Eray Biber
Focusing on the political, economic, cultural, and educational rights issues faced by the Turks of Western Thrace in the 20th and 21st centuries, this work provides analyses specifically on foundations, religious institutions, and educational rights. The author evaluates minority demands within the context of state institutions, international law, and modern democracies, offering strategic solution proposals. Approaching the region’s contemporary problems with an academic perspective, this work serves as a guide for politicians, lawyers, and social scientists.
8. Human and Minority Rights in Western Thrace – Fehim Ahmet
Published by BAKEŞ Publications, this book gathers Fehim Ahmet’s articles from the Gündem Newspaper Analysis column in the light of current rights violations. Starting from the minority rights articles of the Treaty of Lausanne, it analyzes how these rights could not be implemented and the anti-minority attitude of the Greek state with documents. The 2025 edition, with its clear narration and topical content, appeals to both experts and general readers.
9. Freedom of Religion and Conscience of the Muslim Turkish Minority in Greece – Turgay Cin
This 454-page work addresses the legal aspect of the struggle for religious rights and freedom of the Muslim Turks in Western Thrace. Referring to the provisions of the Treaty of Lausanne regarding religious institutions (Mufti, Grand Mufti, foundations), it examines how Greek domestic law opposed these agreements. The book presents freedom of religion and conscience in a comparative manner between international law and Greek national law, and systematically evaluates the violations of Muslim Turks’ rights in education, foundations, and mufti institutions.
10. Migration from Western Thrace to Turkey (1967–1995) – Nilüfer Erdem
This work examines the process of tens of thousands of Western Thrace Turks migrating to Turkey as a result of the implementation of Article 19 policy in Greece. Citizenship cancellations, social pressures, economic hardships, and post-migration integration processes are presented with comprehensive data. The book, using interviews, legal documents, and demographic analyses, reveals the social impact of migration and sheds light on the regional effects of demographic change, assimilation policies, and human rights violations.
Final Word: To Read is to Resist
Living in Western Thrace is not only a struggle to exist in a geography, but also a determination to preserve an identity. This identity stands through history, faith, education, language, and struggle. The works in your hands are the most sincere witnesses and records of this struggle.
For those who want to understand Western Thrace, I suggest not only reading these books but also feeling them. Because even between the lines, we continue to resist.
[This work by Harun Halil, writer for Millet Newspaper, was published in the 54th issue of İnsicam magazine in Turkey (August 2025).]
