Greek Foreign Ministry to Turkey: The Treaty of Lausanne admits no interpretations; the Muslim minority of Thrace is religious

“The Muslim Minority of Thrace is simply a spiritual minority. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which governs its ineligible status, admits nary aggregate interpretations, and its spiritual — not taste — quality is indisputable,” emphasizes the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs successful a connection responding to Ankara’s provocations.

In its statement, the Foreign Ministry notes that the Treaty of Lausanne “contains nary proviso for the predetermination of Muftis by the Minority, nor could it, fixed that they are additionally entrusted with judicial and administrative functions.”

The predetermination of a Mufti is carried retired nether Law 4964/2022, which provides for the enactment of a committee from Minority members that evaluates and proposes the astir suitable candidates. Under this legislation, “the assignment of the caller Mufti of Didymoteicho has been completed, portion the announcements for filling the Mufti positions of Xanthi and Komotini person already been published. All this portion successful Turkey itself the Muftis are appointed.”

“Greece, arsenic a European rule-of-law state, handles the issues of the Muslim Minority successful Thrace with implicit responsibility, based connected the principles of equality earlier the instrumentality and adjacent citizenship, and supra all, it guarantees the spiritual state of its members. This volition not change, conscionable arsenic the internationally recognized designation of the Minority volition not alteration simply due to the fact that immoderate garbage to judge the obvious,” concludes the Foreign Ministry.

Ankara’s provocative statement

Athens’ absorption comes successful effect to Turkey’s provocative statement, which erstwhile again referred to a “Turkish minority” and accused Greece of refusing to admit the Muftis.

“In caller months, the process of appointing ‘Muftis’ nether the pretext of ‘elections,’ imposed successful Didymoteicho without consultation with representatives and organizations of the ‘Turkish Minority of Western Thrace,’ is present being attempted successful the regions of Rhodope and Xanthi.”

Ankara adjacent criticized Greece for repressive practices and called connected authorities “to reverse their persistently incorrect people regarding the ‘Turkish Minority’ of Western Thrace. Turkey, portion observing its pact obligations, volition proceed to intimately show the extortion of the rights of the ‘Turkish Minority’ of Western Thrace successful Greece,(sic)” the Turkish Ministry stated.