Three more Turkish Minority Primary Schools to be closed in Western Thrace
The Regional Directorate of Education for Eastern Macedonia and Thrace has decided to shut down three more Turkish minority primary schools in Western Thrace, citing low student enrollment as the official reason.
According to the decision:
Two schools in Rhodope province — Kardere and Mehrikoz villages —
And one school in Meriç province, in Hasanlar village,
will be closed starting from the 2025–2026 academic year.
This move has sparked renewed concerns among the Turkish Muslim minority in Greece, who view such closures as part of a long-term assimilation policy and a threat to the preservation of minority education and identity. The Turkish minority has frequently criticized authorities for failing to support bilingual education and for ignoring the community's educational needs and treaty rights, particularly those guaranteed by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
Community leaders and minority organizations have called on the Greek government to halt these closures and instead invest in supporting existing schools through modern infrastructure and equitable policies.
