Condemnation by FUEN for the attitude of the Greek authorities against the elected Muftis of Western Thrace Turks

FUEN expressed its strong support to the elected Mufti of Xanthi Ahmet Mete and the elected Mufti of Komotini İbrahim Şerif.

The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN), of which the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) is an ordinary member, informed in its press release FUEN is deeply concerned that the recent judicial investigations against the representatives of the Turkish community in Western Thrace have turned out to be an instrument for political intimidation and pressure. FUEN also noted the elected Mufti of Xanthi Ahmet Mete was accused of usurpation of the Office of Mufti and will stand trial on 20 June 2017 in Thessaloniki, and similarly the public prosecutor’s office has filed a suit against the elected Mufti of Komotini İbrahim Şerif for “usurpation of the Mufti Office”.

In the press release, FUEN also denoted the public prosecutor’s office in Xanthi has filed a suit against Ahmet Mete and the Imam of Glafki (Gökçepınar) for their actions during the funeral in the village of Glafki (Gökçepınar) on 14 July 2016 of a young person belonging to the Turkish community who died while performing his military service in the Greek army, and by command of the public prosecutor’s office, the elected Mufti of Komotini İbrahim Şerif was invited to the police headquarters to take delivery of his court file on 16 March 2017.

FUEN expressed it regrets that the right of the Turkish community in Western Thrace to select its own religious leaders has been usurped by the Greek government through the appointment of Muftis by the state since 1990, and stated the Turkish community members reject the appointed muftis and elected Muftis as their religious leaders in Komotini and Xanthi, however, the Greek state does not recognize the Muftis who were elected by the Turkish community members and even, the elected muftis in the past were prosecuted and sentenced to prison for the illegal use of religious symbols. FUEN also attributed to the issue that along with the Eastern Orthodox Church as the prevailing religion in Greece, the Jewish Central Board or the Catholic and Protestant Church are free to elect its own religious leaders in Greece.

FUEN calling on the Greek authorities not to harm by no means the autonomous structure of the Turkish community in accordance with the Athens Treaty of 1913 and its Third Protocol, stated: “FUEN condemns the attitude of the Greek authorities and expresses its strong support to the elected Mufti of Xanthi Ahmet Mete and the elected Mufti of Komotini İbrahim Şerif. In strong solidarity with the Turkish community, FUEN will continue to monitor the cases of Ahmet Mete and İbrahim Şerif, and will consider sending a delegation as observers to their trials”.

For the full text of the press release of FUEN:
https://www.fuen.org/news/single/article/condemnation/