Greek Foreign Ministry to Ankara on Thrace’s muftis: “hypocritical” to lecture Greece when Turkey appoints its own

Greece’s Foreign Ministry answered Ankara in strong terms on Saturday, October 24, over the muftis of Thrace. In its announcement, the ministry comments both on the text of the Turkish foreign ministry and on statements by Turkish officials, and calls it “at the very least hypocritical” for Turkey to lecture Greece on religious freedom and human rights when, on its own territory, muftis are chosen and appointed by the state.

Athens is replying to statement no. 207 of the Turkish foreign ministry, which described the muftis appointed by Greece “so-called” and called for recognition of those “elected” by the minority. The occasion was the appointment of the new muftis of Xanthi and Komotini, announced on Thursday, October 22.

What Lausanne says

The ministry’s central argument is the very treaty Ankara invokes. The treaty signed in Lausanne in 1923, which regulates the status of the minority, “is clear: it concerns a religious minority”, the Greek side stresses, adding that its character may not be questioned or redefined “at will”. The minority, it continues, consists of Greek citizens and is an integral part of Greek society. In this way Athens rejects any redefinition of the minority by the Turkish side.

The 2022 law

On how religious officials are chosen, the ministry points to Law 4964/2022. According to Athens, muftis are now selected in a modern and democratic way, with members of the minority themselves, men and women, taking part. This, it argues, ensures greater transparency, without any curtailment of freedom of worship.

The announcement also insists on consistency between words and deeds: “The credibility of such admonitions presupposes, first and foremost, consistency between words and actions.” In the ministry’s view, the right of every person to worship freely is fundamental, but no one may invoke it whenever convenient or use it to interfere in the internal affairs of another sovereign state.

In closing, Athens recalls that, as a European state governed by the rule of law, it guarantees the rights of each of its citizens, rests on equality before the law and equal citizenship (isonomia and isopoliteia), and respects international law.

Thrace is again at the centre of Turkish rhetoric this October. A Turkish campaign over minority schools came first, while the new appointments completed the staffing of all three muftiates of the region, those of Komotini, Xanthi and Didymoteicho.