Greek education official defends closure of Turkish minority schools citing demographic changes
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Regional Deputy Director of Education Marigoula Kosmidou has defended the suspension of operations at eight Turkish minority primary schools in Western Thrace, arguing that the closures are linked to demographic changes rather than policies targeting minority education.
Kosmidou issued a written statement following public criticism over the closure decisions and the rejection of some student registrations at the İskeçe Central Turkish Minority Primary School. In her statement, she defended the legal basis of the decisions and Greece’s education policies while directly responding to recent remarks by Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.
Kosmidou argued that the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has "no legal or practical legitimacy" to comment on the functioning of minority schools in Greece. She also reiterated Greece’s position that the minority recognized under the Lausanne Treaty is a religious rather than ethnic minority.
Comparing the situation with the Greek minority in Istanbul, Kosmidou claimed that the decline of the Greek community there was the result of past state policies and forced migration, while the reduction in the number of minority schools in Thrace was linked to broader demographic trends affecting Europe.
According to Kosmidou, the closure of eight Turkish minority schools was not a measure specifically targeting minority education. She stated that 39 public schools in the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region were also suspended during the same period, arguing that the closures reflected declining student populations and wider demographic challenges.
Kosmidou also highlighted that minority schools are subject to a lower minimum student threshold compared with public schools. She stated that while public primary schools require at least 15 students to remain open, minority primary schools can continue operating with nine students. She added that the suspended minority schools this year were all two-teacher schools with student numbers below the legal minimum.
The official further argued that larger multi-grade schools provide students with broader educational opportunities, including greater social interaction, access to specialized facilities and expanded learning programs.
Regarding the rejected registrations at the İskeçe Central Turkish Minority Primary School, Kosmidou claimed that documents submitted during the registration process were found to be unlawful following an investigation and that parents acknowledged the findings. The statement did not include the views or objections of parents, school representatives or Turkish minority institutions.
The issue remains at the center of a wider debate over the status of Turkish minority education in Western Thrace. Minority institutions argue that these schools have a special autonomous status protected by the Lausanne Treaty and relevant agreements, and that they should not be evaluated under the same criteria as public schools.
Kosmidou’s statement focused primarily on educational planning and demographic data while not directly addressing these legal arguments raised by Turkish minority organizations.
