Türkiye's advocacy for the Western Thrace Turkish Minority draws criticism from Athens
Athens expressed discontent following Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's recent remarks that Turkey would closely monitor efforts to resolve the issues of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority. According to the Greek state news agency AMNA, "diplomatic sources" reported Athens' dissatisfaction with Fidan's statements.
The Greek government reiterated its longstanding position, asserting the existence of a "Muslim minority" in the region, as stipulated by the Treaty of Lausanne, and rejected Turkey's references to a "Turkish minority."
AMNA quoted diplomatic sources emphasizing that:
The Treaty of Lausanne is clear and leaves no room for misinterpretation, recognizing only a "Muslim minority" in Greece.
Turkey’s references to a "nonexistent national minority" violate international law and Greece’s commitment to equal treatment of all citizens.
Discussions during recent bilateral meetings reportedly did not address sovereignty or territorial matters but included broader regional topics, such as Cyprus and energy cooperation. Athens stated that no progress had been made regarding delimitation issues in the Aegean or Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ).
Greece reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining equality for all its citizens while criticizing Turkey for what it described as a distortion of international agreements.
