Turkish Minority Youth show great interest in Eid reception at Komotini Consulate
A Bayram reception was held at Türkiye’s Consulate General in Komotini on the first day of Eid al-Fitr (Sunday, March 30). Thousands of kinsmen from the regions of Evros, Komotini, and Xanthi, as well as from abroad, gathered in the consulate's garden to celebrate the occasion.
The event saw a particularly strong turnout from young members of the Turkish minority. Numerous youth representatives from minority institutions and organizations, along with many young people from neighboring areas, attended the reception.
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Athens, Çağatay Erciyes, who was visiting Western Thrace for Bayram, also took part in the ceremony. Guests were welcomed by Ambassador Erciyes, Türkiye’s Consul General in Komotini, Aykut Ünal, his spouse İlayda Ünal, and consulate staff.
The reception was attended by several dignitaries, including Xanthi MPs Hüseyin Zeybek and Burhan Baran, Rhodope MP Özgür Ferhat, President of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board and Mufti of Xanthi, Mustafa Trampa, Mufti of Komotini, İbrahim Şerif, Chairwoman of the Friendship, Equality, and Peace (DEB) Party, Çiğdem Asafoğlu, as well as Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Regional Governor Hristodoulos Topsidis. Other notable attendees included Deputy Regional Governors Rıdvan Hacı Mehmet and Rıdvan Mola İsa, Regional Council Advisor Ahmet Osman Pehlivan, council members Kaan Mümin and Ahmet Kasap, and several municipal leaders such as Kozlukebir Mayor Erdem Hüseyin, Mustafçova Mayor Ahmet Kurt, Yassıköy Mayor Caner İmam, and Maronia-Sapes Mayor Apostolos Ioannou, along with minority-affiliated municipal council members and representatives of various institutions.
Additionally, members of the Western Thrace Student Union from Ankara and Istanbul, Aliosman Aliosman from the Bursa branch of the Western Thrace Turks Solidarity Association, and Dr. Süleyman Taş, a religious scholar who served in Western Thrace during Ramadan, were present.
Following the consulate reception, Ambassador Erciyes, Consul General Aykut Ünal, and İlayda Ünal visited the Komotini Turkish Youth Union (GTGB), where they had the opportunity to engage in Bayram greetings and conversations with community members.
Similar eid celebrations were also held at various other minority institutions throughout the day.
