Sunne District Mosque in Xanthi was attacked

On 6 December 2009, the Sunne District Mosque was attacked by an unidentified person, or an unidentified group of persons. According to the written statement by Ahmet Mete, Chairman of the Consultative Committee of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace and elected Mufti of Xanthi, on Sunday night, around 11:40 pm, windows of the Sunne District Mosque were broken by stones thrown during the attack, and slogans were written on walls of the mosque. After the imam of the mosque Remzi Saban had immediately reported the incident to the police, they investigated the crime scene and detected that two windows of the mosque, one at the entrance and one on the side showing to the direction of Mekka, had been broken.

With regard to the issue, Halit Habipoglu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), stated that “First, as ABTTF we strongly condem the attack on the Sunne Mosque located very near the Mufti office of Xanthi in the city center, and hope that the perpetrators will be found soon. Furthermore, ABTTF demands that the freedom of religion and worship of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace is guaranteed. When I visited the elected Mufti of Xanthi Ahmet Mete, I also visited the Sunne Mosque and lastly performed the Ramadan ritual prayer there. We deeply regret due to the attack on the mosque. The attack on the Sunne Mosque in Xanthi presents an attack on the freedom of religion and worship of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace. The creation of events, which increase tensions in Western Thrace, are damaging the social peace between the minority and the majority in the region. The Turkish Minority of Western Thrace will not allow that the atmosphere of peace, which has been maintained for years on the basis of mutual respect and tolerance, is not damaged.