Athens sent demarche to the UN rejecting the allegations about the Muslims of Thrace

In response to a statement submitted by the "Federation of Turks of Western Thrace in Europe" to the UN Human Rights Council, the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations in Geneva sent a demarche, denying the allegations of discrimination against the Muslim Minority of Thrace, and at the same time presenting the legal and institutional framework that ensures the rights of its members.

The Status of the Muslim Minority in Thrace

According to the demarche, the Muslim Minority of Thrace is recognized as a religious minority under the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923.

The Treaty of Lausanne makes no reference to ethnic origin, which reflects the composition of the minority, which includes Turks, Pomaks and Roma.

With over 120,000 members, the Minority constitutes approximately one third of the population of Thrace. As Greek citizens, members of the Minority enjoy full rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and European legislation.

Education and religious rights

Greece emphasizes its compliance with the provisions of the Lausanne Treaty on education and religious freedom of minorities:

Minority schools: The state finances 88 minority schools and 2 Madrasahs (religious schools), sufficient to meet the demand for enrollment.
Mosques: More than 240 mosques operate in Thrace, making the ratio of mosques to citizens of Islamic faith the highest in Europe.
Muftis: Imams are paid by the three Muftis under the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs.
Clergy: The imams of mosques are paid by the three Muftis under the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs.

Integration into society and economy

Greece, the demarche states, has adopted a series of measures to facilitate the economic and professional participation of the Muslim Minority, such as:

Privileged quota: A 0.5% quota was established for university admission and civil service exams.

Employment support: Programs to support integration into the labor market.

Media freedom

As stated, Greek legislation ensures freedom of expression and pluralism in the media.

In Thrace, members of the Minority manage:

5 radio stations,

6 daily newspapers,

5 news websites and

1 magazine

“The Greek authorities do not interfere with the content of the media, while the rare court cases arise from private individuals, often members of the Minority,” the verbal statement emphasizes.

Protection of religiously identified individuals

Greece, it is stated, guarantees freedom of expression and protects groups that identify themselves religiously. Law 4491/2017 protects against incitement to hatred or violence based on religious beliefs.

Greece, through its official position, seeks to highlight the respect and protection it provides to the Muslim Minority, responding to allegations that, as it notes, do not correspond to reality.