Western Thrace mufti calls on Greece to resolve mufti dispute through dialogue
Mustafa Trampa, the elected Mufti of İskeçe (Xanthi) and President of the Advisory Board of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, has called on Greece to launch sincere dialogue with minority institutions and representatives to resolve the long-standing dispute over the appointment of muftis.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Trampa said the dispute had continued since 1985 and called for a lasting and fair solution based on the free will of the minority, human rights and international obligations.
Trampa said Greece introduced legislation on mufti appointments in 1990 and took steps to implement the system in 1991. He described the recent appointments in Gümülcine (Komotini) and İskeçe, as well as an earlier appointment in Didymoteicho, as a continuation of the system that had been in place for years.
“There is an attempt to create the impression that the Greek state is making a new opening. That is not the case,” he said.
He added that legislation adopted in 2022 had amended certain provisions of the previous framework but had not changed the appointment-based system.
MINORITY RIGHTS EXTEND BEYOND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Trampa said the mufti dispute was only one of several issues facing the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, pointing to concerns over religious foundations, education and national identity.
He argued that the minority lacked a say in the administration of its religious foundations, adding that state intervention extended beyond the field of religious freedoms.
Trampa also cited the closure of minority schools, restrictions in education, the denial of the minority’s national identity and practices affecting civil society organisations as areas of concern. He claimed that pressure on the minority in these areas was increasing.
TRAMPA CITES INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AND GREEK LAW
The elected mufti said the minority’s demands were grounded in legal instruments, including the 1913 Treaty of Athens, Greek Law No. 2345 of 1920 and the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
According to Trampa, Law No. 2345 set out how muftis were to be elected by the minority and became part of Greek domestic law.
He also stressed the significance of the Treaty of Lausanne in protecting religious freedoms, arguing that the minority had the right to choose its own religious leaders and manage and oversee its religious institutions, foundations and civil society organisations.
Trampa also criticised the recent mufti appointments and the appointment of members to the İskeçe religious foundations committee, saying these developments disregarded international treaties and undermined human rights.
CALL FOR A LASTING AND FAIR SOLUTION
Calling on the Greek government to address the issue without further delay, Trampa urged the authorities to engage directly with the minority’s institutions and representatives.
“We call on the Greek state to resolve the mufti issue, which has continued since 1985, by initiating a sincere dialogue process with the institutions and representatives of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, without prolonging it any further,” he said.
“Our expectation is the implementation of a lasting and fair solution based on the free will of the minority, in line with human rights and international obligations,” he added.
