Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board issues a statement
The Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board issued a written statement on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, addressing recent events in the region, particularly the provocation attempt by appointed muftis at the Iskeçe Çınar Mosque.
The statement expressed solidarity with the heads of institutions and community members who were called in for questioning by the police following the provocation and emphasized the importance of defending the rights of the Turkish minority. It also referenced an incident at the opening of a mosque in Didymoteicho, where the appointed imam conducted the prayer in Greek, which was seen as an attempt to remove the Turkish language from religious rituals.
The statement emphasized that such actions were entirely outside the traditional religious practices of the mosques in Western Thrace and expressed strong opposition to any efforts to strip the Turkish language from the religious and spiritual life of the minority, warning that these dangerous actions would not benefit the region, the people, or the country.
The Advisory Board reiterated its demand for a solution to the Mufti issue, with consideration for the will, demands, and expectations of the Turkish minority in the region. They called for the immediate restoration of Turkish in religious practices, which is guaranteed under the Lausanne Treaty and other international agreements to which Greece is a signatory.
