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Sunday, June 23, 2019

Response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, A. Yennimatas, to a journalist’s question on a statement from the spokesperson for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the Muslim minority of Thrace

Greece does not take lessons from Turkey on the implementation of the Treaty of Lausanne, international law or the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).The members of the Muslim minority of Thrace – as clearly defined by the Treaty of Lausanne, though Turkey insists on ignoring this – enjoy equal rights like all Greek citizens, in the context of the equal rights and equality before the law enshrined in the constitution.In this framework, Greece is moving ahead steadily with the necessary reforms for further improving the quality of life of the members of the Muslim minority. In this direction, Greece recently established specific measures regarding Sharia law – on which it was congratulated by the ECHR – and it is proceeding to the subsequent improvement of the functioning of the Muftiates, which retain judicial responsibilities, to consolidate good and effective administration, with guarantees for the parties who have recourse to the Muftiates. The reference to the founding of a new state service is obviously false. Turkey needs to abandon its interventionist mindset, stop producing unacceptable statements, and understand, on the one hand, that these issues are exclusively a domestic concern of Greece and, on the other hand, the undeniable reality of history and numbers, which show that the Muslim minority residing in Thrace enjoys its freedoms and rights. Moreover, that it is developing without hindrance, within a modern European country.


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