Mufti dispute resurfaces in Western Thrace amid Çınar Mosque Trial

The case concerns four members of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority who are being tried after preventing state-appointed muftis from entering the mosque during Friday prayers on October 11, 2024.

“A Longstanding Structural Issue”
Among those on trial is journalist and former head of the İskeçe Turkish Union, Ozan Ahmetoğlu, who stated that the mufti issue has remained unresolved since the mid-1980s.

He argued that while the minority traditionally elects its own religious leaders, the Greek state appoints muftis, leading to a persistent conflict over religious representation and legitimacy.

Ahmetoğlu described the 2024 incident as a reflection of a deeper, systemic problem, rather than an isolated event.

Minority Leaders Cite International Law
Former president of the Western Thrace Minority Graduates Association, Hüseyin Baltacı, reported that the dispute intensified after policy changes in the 1980s, when the system shifted from community elections to state appointments.

Baltacı emphasized that the minority was defending rights derived from international agreements such as the Treaty of Lausanne, adding that the issue has become chronic and reflects broader concerns over the recognition of minority will.

He also pointed to additional challenges faced by the community, including:

• Recognition of association names
• Gaps in educational infrastructure
• Governance of minority foundations (waqfs)
  “Not Just a Trial, but a Test of Rights”
  Mustafa Trampa, the elected mufti of İskeçe, described the case as more than a legal proceeding:

“We stood united before the court. This is not just about four individuals — it is about the existence of an entire minority and its fundamental rights guaranteed under international law.”

Trampa reiterated that religious freedoms, educational rights, and foundation governance are protected under international agreements, warning that recent regulatory changes may undermine these protections and harm social cohesion.

Broader Implications
The renewed focus on the mufti issue highlights ongoing tensions between state authority and minority self-governance, a matter that has shaped political and legal debates in Western Thrace for decades.

As the trial proceeds, it is expected to further intensify discussions on religious autonomy, minority rights, and legal recognition in Greece.