Turkey: Greece Is Violating Lausanne Over Thrace Muftis

Turkey's Foreign Ministry fired a formal statement at Greece on October 24, calling out Athens for appointing muftis in Komotini and Xanthi rather than recognising the religious leaders elected by the local Muslim community in Western Thrace.

Ankara cited the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, arguing Greece is overriding rights the treaty was meant to protect. "The institution of the mufti is an integral part of the religious, social and cultural identity of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace," the ministry said in its statement.

"The institution of the mufti is an integral part of the religious, social and cultural identity of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace." — Turkey's Foreign Ministry

Turkey's core complaint is that Greece refuses to officially recognise the community as a "Turkish minority" at all, referring to it instead as a "Muslim minority." Ankara says that framing is part of a broader effort to suppress the group's identity rather than protect it.

The dispute over mufti appointments goes back decades. Greece has operated a state appointment system since 1991, when it repealed provisions that previously allowed elections. The minority community has continued to elect its own muftis in parallel, but Greek authorities do not recognise those figures.

Turkey's statement closed with a direct demand: "We call on the Greek authorities to recognise the legitimate muftis elected by the Minority and to abandon efforts to impose appointed muftis."

Greece has not officially responded to the statement.