Western Thrace Turks take religious rights case to UN

The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe on Monday submitted a written statement to the UN Human Rights Council accusing Greece of systematically violating the religious autonomy of the Turkish minority by appointing state muftis in breach of treaty guarantees dating back to 1923.

Treaty guarantees and state control

ABTTF representatives told the council that the minority’s right to elect its own religious leaders and administer its institutions was secured under the 1913 Treaty of Athens and the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. The federation noted that community members freely elected their muftis until 1985, when legislative changes began shifting authority to the state.

According to the statement, Law No. 4964 enacted in 2022 altered the status of mufti offices by converting them into public institutions subordinate to Greece’s Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Ministry. The federation argued that this legislative framework effectively terminated the minority’s century-old practice of religious self-administration.

Recent appointments and inequality

The federation stated that a state-appointed mufti was installed in Didymoteicho in 2026, with similar procedures currently underway in Xanthi and Komotini. It noted that while followers of other recognized religions in Greece select their own spiritual leaders, the Turkish minority remains subject to state control over its religious institutions.

Greek authorities currently appoint both the muftis and the administrative boards of minority foundations — a practice the Turkish community opposes. The minority continues to demand official recognition for its community-elected religious leaders, according to the submission.