Regardless of the reactions from the Minority, 23 “appointed religion teachers” started duty in public schools

ABTTF President Halit Habip Oğlu: Policies in place as a outcome of the “Despite the Minority, for the Minority” mentality are certainly no use

The regulation 4115/2013, which foresees employment of 240 Imams under the supervision of state appointed Muftis in Western Thrace, is official started for implementation. The “religion teachers”, foreseen to serve inaitially at secondary schools, have started duty as of 10 January 2014. In light of the respective regulation, passed and put in place despite reactions of the Minority, 63 religious schoolars are selected by Greek Ministry of Education, Life-Long Learning and Religious Affairs to be only employed at the public schools in Western Thrace. As a result of interviews carried out by Eastern Macedonia – Thrace Regional Directorate for Education, the selected 63 religious schoolars are appointed as contractual officials and were given training on the subject.

According to minority journal Gündem, first badge of religious schoolars were appointed on 9 January 2014 thus, the first gorup of “religion teachers” (ierodidaskalos) of 23 persons started duty in public secondary and high schools. Hence, the distribution of the “religion teachers” as 9 in Komotini, 9 in Xanthi and 5 in Evros was in force on 10 January 2014. As indicated by local press, the 22 out of 23 appointed religious schoolars are graduates of Special Pedagogical Academy of Thessaloniki (SÖPA) and one of them is of theological background.

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) President Halit Habip Oğlu stated: “The 240 Imams Law”, adopted despite the vehement reaction of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority, has officially started to be implemented in public schools in Western Thrace. The Greek government enforces the regulation with the pretext of having set it up for the benefit of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority, which has in no means been consulted neither taken into account as for its reactions by the Greek authorities. Policies in place as a outcome of the “Despite the Minority, for the Minority” mentality are certainly no use. This position and respective policy has deeply insulted our Minority’s confidence and belief in state authorities.